Donald Trump is forever fired from “Celebrity Apprentice,” so long as one top executive reigns.
In 2015, NBC cut ties with the Republican presidential hopeful after he made derogatory comments that included calling Mexican immigrants “rapists.” The “Apprentice” franchise Trump began in 2004 has been off the air since early 2015, and NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said any future seasons will be absent their original charismatic host.
“He would never be back on ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’ as long as I’m here,” Greenblatt told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills, California, on Tuesday.
The executive’s comments echo others he made last year when asked whether Trump would return to the show. Although Greenblatt called Trump “a lovely guy” and stated that the Art of the Deal co-author been pleasant to work with, he said “Celebrity Apprentice” would return to NBC in the future with a different host. Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is set to take over in 2017.
In the past, Trump touted his absence from the reality TV show as a demonstration of his sacrifice for the country.
“I’ve given up a tremendous amount to run for president,” Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in May. “I gave up two more seasons of ‘Celebrity Apprentice.’”
Last weekend, after making controversial comments against the Muslim family of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, Trump was accused by the soldier’s father of having “sacrificed nothing.” In an irrational response, the presidential nominee said he has sacrificed by creating “thousands and thousands of jobs.”
And yet, although Greenblatt seems more than willing to let Trump prove his patriotic resolve by staying off of reality shows, another NBC Entertainment executive hedged her reply a bit more.
Asked whether the network would allow Trump back on the show, NBC’s entertainment president Jennifer Salke said she had “no idea.”
“With him, we’re taking one day at a time and seeing where he ends up and watching this unfold like all of you. We’re not involved in his life,” she said.
The Huffington Post has reached out to Trump’s representation and will update this post accordingly.
Before You Go
