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# How The Apprentice Shaped Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nKdWhDbl.m3u8" -->
## Video: How The Apprentice Shaped Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign

[Watch (HLS stream): How The Apprentice Shaped Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nKdWhDbl.m3u8) (1:40)

![How The Apprentice Shaped Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/nKdWhDbl/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2016-06-21. Before he was the presumptive Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump leveraged his famous name as the host of the NBC reality series The Apprentice._


---

Jul 27, 2023 8:14 PM UTC

---

## More From This Series

[All Videos](https://time.com/video/)

[Former Apprentice Contestant Says Donald Trump Sexually Harassed Her, Kissed Her on the Mouth](/video/7KSt8af2/)

### Former Apprentice Contestant Says Donald Trump Sexually Harassed Her, Kissed Her on the Mouth

[What to Know About Donald Trump's Unaired Apprentice Tapes](/video/G8tsUnW9/)

### What to Know About Donald Trump's Unaired Apprentice Tapes

[A History of Donald Trump's Campaign Shakeups](/video/WdmNSp4y/)

### A History of Donald Trump's Campaign Shakeups

---


## Transcript

HOW DID DONALD TRUMP'S TIME ON THE APPRENTICE SHAPE HIS PRESIDENTIAL RUN? When The Apprentice came on the air in 2004, it was practically an instant hit. The concept of The Apprentice, where candidates were trying to impress a boss and ultimately get a job was perfect for a boom time economy. On The Apprentice, Donald Trump's role was that of an instigator and a judge. During the episode, contestants went head- to- head on different business tasks while he was not really involved. Then at the end, he was the one who ultimately chose who would stay and who would be fired. You're all fired. All four are fired.

Often times, he kept on very dramatic, because it's possibly past their prime. The famous example being, Omarosa, the dramatic Whitehouse former employee. I was successful again and again and again. And it works for me. This didn't carry her into the winner's circle, but it carried her pretty far. So if you think about Donald Trump skipping a debate who was being co- moderated by his then nemesis, Meghan Kelly When did you actually become a Republican? [ SOUND ] You see a lot of The Apprentice DNA in him. He was making an event all about his strength and his power, in the same way that he long encouraged Apprentice candidates to do.

It was about shaking things up and proving that he had a new vision, even when that vision was really self- glorifying. I feel a little bit foolish, People are offering me millions and millions of dollars. You know when you; re in first place, you can collect so much money. It seems like a winning formula, be willing to insult and deride in order to get ahead and people won't stop watching. Get him out please. [ MUSIC ]

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