One of the constant proverbial pokes in the eye this past campaign season has been that Donald Trump is “nothing more than a reality TV star.” Now, the veracity of that statement can be easily challenged, but that didn’t stop the political left from making hay with that line of argument multiple times.
Trump, for his part, made a point to repeat, ad nauseum, his insistence that going forward, he would have nothing to do with The Apprentice, the reality show in question. That role would now belong to movie star and former California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. But this did little to deter naysayers and late night comics enjoying their dig at The Donald.
Meanwhile, nobody thought about asking Schwarzenegger. The Governator is done listening to people asking these questions, and he’s ready to show folks who’s boss … in true Schwarzenegger fashion. In an interview with The AP, Arnold put it right out there:
“The show is Arnold. The other one was Trump. I have a different personality, and I do everything kind of lighthearted… When we did the show, we didn't do it thinking about, 'Is Trump going to win (the election)? What does it mean he was the host of the show?”
Schwarzenegger wants viewers to see him in the center seat, retaining or firing contestants week in and week out. It’s a role the former action star and certified quip machine seems well-suited for.
Some members of the cast, though reluctant to say whether they thought politics should play into the new season, say it wasn’t a concern during shooting the program, which wrapped about a year ago this February.
NBC is likely hoping the new show is a hit, so the Trump connection fades after this season. The network has managed a tenuous relationship with the former host and current President-Elect. They were clearly banking on Trump’s name recognition while often bristling at the way Trump dealt with producers and executives. Now, they hope, the show will still work with a different dynamic in a different time zone.
Meanwhile, the Terminator is just wishing people would stop asking him about Trump. The show, he says, is his now, and he’s going to run it his way. New vibe, new feel, but, hopefully, the same kind of success.
David Milberg is a financial analyst in NYC. He is a long-time owner of Milberg Factors, a factoring and finance company with locations in New York, California, and North Carolina.
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