In case you forgot you elected a reality TV star with a mail-order bride as your president
He's taking his chief executive duties very seriously.
The Trump presidency may still be six agonizing weeks away, but already there is no news that surprises anymore. Although the president-elect relinquished his Celebrity Apprentice hosting duties when he launched his bid for office in 2015, Variety reported today that Trump will remain on as an executive producer when the show re-launches in January, this time helmed by another hilarious-entertainer-turned-real-politician, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, nothing says "I am taking this whole commander-in-chief thing very seriously" like executive-producing a reality TV show that prominently features one of the dudes from Mötley Crüe.
It's not clear what duties Trump's position will entail, but even if the answer is none, he is still going to get paid for it.
The larger issue for MGM, NBC, and the White House is the payment that Trump will receive for the series. It’s unclear what his per-episode fee is, but it is likely to be in the low five-figures, at minimum. NBC has ordered eight episodes of “The New Celebrity Apprentice.”
This is wild. The man who has pledged to dedicate himself to preserving blue-collar jobs and making America great again will be earning more from his side gig in entertainment than most of his constituents will make in a year. It's hard to imagine a more tone-deaf decision, but given that Trump has been unapologetically willing to use the presidency to accumulate wealth for him and his family, it's depressingly on-brand.
Variety points out that President Obama made royalties off the 2010 publication of Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, but this is comparing apples to bad reality TV programming. Of Thee I Sing was a one-off children's book that Obama had written two years earlier, before he took office, and all proceeds from the book's sales went to charity. Celebrity Apprentice, by contrast, is an ongoing television franchise that, at least for now—please, Mr. President-elect, announce you're going to give it away—will go straight into his pockets. Imagine Trump excusing himself from a critical national security briefing to tweet out something like "Tonight's episode features a compelling showdown between Boy George and Snooki! Great ratings! Don't miss it!" Turns out that SNL sketch may have been grimly prescient.
He's taking his chief executive duties very seriously.
The Trump presidency may still be six agonizing weeks away, but already there is no news that surprises anymore. Although the president-elect relinquished his Celebrity Apprentice hosting duties when he launched his bid for office in 2015, Variety reported today that Trump will remain on as an executive producer when the show re-launches in January, this time helmed by another hilarious-entertainer-turned-real-politician, former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Yes, nothing says "I am taking this whole commander-in-chief thing very seriously" like executive-producing a reality TV show that prominently features one of the dudes from Mötley Crüe.
It's not clear what duties Trump's position will entail, but even if the answer is none, he is still going to get paid for it.
The larger issue for MGM, NBC, and the White House is the payment that Trump will receive for the series. It’s unclear what his per-episode fee is, but it is likely to be in the low five-figures, at minimum. NBC has ordered eight episodes of “The New Celebrity Apprentice.”
This is wild. The man who has pledged to dedicate himself to preserving blue-collar jobs and making America great again will be earning more from his side gig in entertainment than most of his constituents will make in a year. It's hard to imagine a more tone-deaf decision, but given that Trump has been unapologetically willing to use the presidency to accumulate wealth for him and his family, it's depressingly on-brand.
Variety points out that President Obama made royalties off the 2010 publication of Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters, but this is comparing apples to bad reality TV programming. Of Thee I Sing was a one-off children's book that Obama had written two years earlier, before he took office, and all proceeds from the book's sales went to charity. Celebrity Apprentice, by contrast, is an ongoing television franchise that, at least for now—please, Mr. President-elect, announce you're going to give it away—will go straight into his pockets. Imagine Trump excusing himself from a critical national security briefing to tweet out something like "Tonight's episode features a compelling showdown between Boy George and Snooki! Great ratings! Don't miss it!" Turns out that SNL sketch may have been grimly prescient.
, this man does not understand the meaning of "conflict of interest."