• Politics

Former The Apprentice Cast Members Slam Trump Campaign

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A group of former contestants from Donald Trump’s reality show spoke out Friday against the billionaire’s presidential campaign.

Members of The Apprentice cast held a press conference in New York, where primary voters will cast ballots Tuesday, calling out the Republican front-runner for the rhetoric used in his campaign. Season one runner-up Kwame Jakcson said Trump appealed “to the lowest common denominator of fear, racism and divisiveness in our populace,” according to CNN.

Another ex-contestant, season four winner Randal Pinkett, added that the opportunity from the show didn’t outweigh Trump’s current campaign tactics.

“We acknowledge Donald’s success as a businessman, and genuinely appreciate the opportunity The Apprentice afforded all of us,” Pinkett said. “We, however, strongly condemn Donald’s campaign of sexism, xenophobia, racism, violence and hate.”

Pinkett and Jackson were joined by season three’s Tara Dowdell, with Marshawn Evans Daniels from season four appearing via Skype, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Though originally scheduled to appear, season two’s Kevin Allen and James Sun from season six were unable to make it.

See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities

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Donald Trump, owner of New York's Trump Tower, holds the bridle of a polo pony while talking to Andy Warhol on Nov. 4, 1983. Mario Suriani—AP
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Donald Trump, Don King and Barbara Walters on Dec. 12, 1987.Ron Galella—Getty Images
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Professional Wrestler Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant With Donald Trump. Russell Turiak—Getty Images
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Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, his wife, actress Robin Givens and Donald Trump, leave the New York State Supreme Court building on July 22, 1988.Charles Wenzelberg—AP
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Developer Donald Trump is flanked by super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns, left, of Detroit, and Michael Olajide of Canada at a news conference in New York on Feb. 15, 1990. Timothy Clary—AP
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Alec Baldwin is joined by Donald Trump and Melania Knauss at benefit for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on October 8, 1999.Richard Corkery—NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images
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Katie Couric, left, co-host of NBC-TV's "Today" show, is dressed like Donald Trump, right, during a spoof of his "The Apprentice" reality television show, on the morning program's annual Halloween segment on Oct. 29, 2004. Richard Drew—AP
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Donald Trump and Larry King arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011.Charles Sykes—AP
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Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, left, and Donald Trump appear onstage at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011.Charles Sykes—AP
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Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011.Charles Sykes—AP
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Martha Stewart and Donald Trump at Richard "Skip" Bronson's, "The War at the Shore" Book Publication Party held at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City on June 11, 2012.Sylvain Gaboury—Sipa USA
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Tiger Woods stands with Donald Trump as he holds the Gene Serazen Cup for winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on March 10, 2013, in Doral, Fla. Wilfredo Lee—AP
donald trump posing with celebrities
Donald Trump and recording artist and host Nick Jonas joke around onstage during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas.Ethan Miller—Getty Images

Trump fired back at the former reality TV stars as “failing wannabes,” criticizing the group for turning their back on him. “How quickly they forget. Nobody would know who they are if it weren’t for me,” he said. “They just want to get back into the limelight like they had when they were with Trump. Total dishonesty and disloyalty.”

Not all former cast members are anti-Trump, as season one contestant Omarosa Manigualt makes frequent television appearances in support of the candidate. The Apprentice ran on television from 2004 through early 2015 and produced Trump’s catch phrase “you’re fired!”

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