Donald Trump has offered a muted endorsement of his eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, as a potential host for a reboot of the reality show The Apprentice, amid reports that Amazon is considering reviving the series.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Amazon was exploring a reboot of The Apprentice for its Prime Video service. The show was originally hosted by Trump between 2004 and 2015. Amazon confirmed that “preliminary internal discussions” had taken place since it acquired MGM, which owns the franchise, in 2022, but said a reboot was “not in active development”.
Asked about the reports during an Oval Office signing ceremony on Thursday, Trump said: “Well, I’ve been hearing it. So we’ll see what happens. He’s good. He’s a good guy. He’s probably good. He’s got a little charisma going.” The comment fell short of a full-throated endorsement for his son.
The Hollywood Reporter cited a source close to Trump Jr, who said he had learned about the potential role from the media. If Amazon proceeds with the reboot featuring a Trump, it would follow the company’s controversial $40m acquisition of Melania, a documentary about the first lady, plus a further $35m on marketing.
The Apprentice originally aired from 2004, with contestants competing for a job in Trump’s business empire. Trump hosted until 2015, when he left to run for president. Arnold Schwarzenegger took over briefly but left after one season. Trump previously said he favoured his daughter Ivanka as a successor, not Donald Jr.
