Donald Trump Jr. may have his father’s backing to take over a possible reboot of “The Apprentice,” but he is reportedly not in on the conversation.
Rumors have been swirling that the reality competition series could be revived, with Trump Jr.’s name being floated as a potential host. However, despite Donald Trump publicly endorsing his son for the role, new reports suggest the idea has not moved beyond speculation.
Sources now claim Trump Jr. is completely unaware of any serious discussions about him leading the show, making the rumored reboot far less concrete than it initially appeared.
Donald Trump Jr. In The Dark Over Possible ‘Apprentice’ Return
Speculation that “The Apprentice” could be returning to television has recently gained traction, with Trump Jr.’s name reportedly being floated as a possible figure to take over the role at the head of the table.
However, The Hollywood Reporter has now confirmed that the president’s son isn’t aware of any such discussions taking place in Hollywood.
On paper, Trump Jr. would seem like a natural fit for a reboot. He has a long history of holding executive positions, giving him the kind of corporate background the show typically demands. He was also a regular boardroom adviser for his father on “The Apprentice’s” original run.
The Discussions About The Reboot Is Still In Early Stages
Trump Jr.’s lack of awareness about the potential reboot does not come as much of a surprise, as reports noted that discussions are still in the early stages.
The information also stated that the Trump family has not been approached for talks. Instead, the idea of Trump Jr. playing the central role came from Amazon executives, whose company owns the rights to the reality TV show.
Meanwhile, it appears that Amazon is interested in bringing the series back to television more than a decade after it last aired, although progress has been slow.
“Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what’s next for ‘The Apprentice’ as a property,’” an Amazon rep said.
Donald Trump Jr. Gets His Father’s Backing For ‘Apprentice’ Role
If a reboot does happen and Trump Jr. is selected, his father is expected to support the move. When asked about a potential reboot of the show with Trump Jr. as host, the president endorsed his eldest son as a good fit for the role.
“Well, I’ve been hearing it,” Trump responded at the time, per PEOPLE Magazine. “Look, we had a great success. Fourteen seasons, and ‘The Apprentice’ was a tremendous success. So, I’ve been hearing that a little bit.”
“So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump added. “He’s a good guy. He’d be probably good. He’s got a little charisma going. You need a little charisma for that s-cker. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Donald Trump Previously Wanted Ivanka As ‘Apprentice’ Host
Despite Trump’s recent endorsement of Trump Jr., his eldest son was seemingly not his first choice as a potential successor to his iconic role.
The president previously appeared to prefer his daughter, Ivanka Trump, who served as an adviser to him during his first term in the White House.
According to reports, Trump shared that view with Variety co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh, who detailed it in his 2024 book, “Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass.”
“I didn’t press it. But I felt Ivanka would have been by far the best person you could hire,” Trump recalled telling NBC, which owned the show at the time.
Why ‘The Apprentice’ Was Initially Canceled
For years, “The Apprentice” was a mainstay on reality television before Trump left the role to run for president. Arnold Schwarzenegger later took over as host, but the veteran actor and former California governor only lasted one season before the show was shut down.
He later said in a 2017 interview that the show lost much of its fan base due to the political divisions surrounding Trump’s behind-the-scenes involvement.
“NBC did everything they could to promote the show, and [producer] Mark Burnett did a fantastic job. No one really knew that this was going to happen, and I think that everyone was caught off guard,” Schwarzenegger told Empire.
“When people found out that Trump was still involved as executive producer and was still receiving money from the show, then half the people [started] boycotting it,” the actor added.