Apparently our soon to-be Dictator-in-Chief just can't say goodbye to the olden days, especially when they afforded him the kind of name recognition he needed to get elected by all of the people he now plans to betray.
According to Variety, Trump will stay on as executive producer of The Apprentice after he takes office.
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.” Trump’s fees will be paid through MGM, the production entity on the show, not NBC. MGM declined to comment on the financial terms of Trump’s deal. A spokeswoman for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment. NBC declined to comment.
Well, no wonder he can afford to waive his pittance for being President of the United States. And it's not just the fee. There's more. There's always more.
Trump is also a profit participant on the “Apprentice” franchise, which has been sold as a format in various markets around the world since it first became a hit on NBC in 2004.
I'm sure they won't make more money on these episodes because the executive producer is also the President of the most powerful nation on earth, right?
The fact that a sitting president will be on the payroll of a current TV show is another example of the thicket of potential conflicts of interest raised by Trump’s segue from private businessman and TV star to commander-in-chief. However, past presidents have published books during their time in the White House, so there is precedent for a president earning royalties while in office.
President Obama donated all of his royalties to charity. If Trump were to do that, he'd just drop them in his corrupt foundation so he could pay off his friends when he felt like it. Or buy another portrait of himself or something. I'd also suggest there's a big difference between putting your name on as executive producer of a reality series that delights in firing people and writing a children's book.
There's a reason for the emoluments clause in the Constitution. Oh, wait. I forgot. Trump is burning the Constitution, one screen credit at a time.
