Donald Trump reportedly told an NBC Universal executive that he could continue his show "The Apprentice" if he ran and was elected to the White House.
According to a June Vanity Fair report that The Hill notes went largely ignored until the reporter did an interview this weekend on The Takeaway, Trump asked show executives if they wanted to put the kibosh on his run for president.
“[NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke and Trump] outlined, presumably fantastically, that Trump should run for president; and on the off chance that he won, he would continue to star in ‘The Apprentice’ from within the White House,” the report cites a 2011 conversation. But Burke returned to Trump's office admitting that he didn't want Trump to run.
"If you don’t want me to do this, then I need you to ask me,” Trump reportedly said.
“That is the main takeaway here is that Trump doesn’t distinguish between what an audience would be, that you can actually monetize, and what the political electorate is, that would actually go out and vote for someone,” Vanity Fair writer Sarah Ellison said on the podcast.
This is consistent with what outspoken liberal Michael Moore wrote in an op-ed last week. He claimed that reliable sources who know Trump and his business say that the GOP nominee is intentionally trying to sabotage his campaign because he never actually wanted to be president.
Raw Story also reported last week that Moore's revelation coupled with the Trump campaign's addition of Breitbart.com editor Stephen Bannen, ousted Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and Republican operative Roger Stone could be evidence the television tycoon wanted to use his campaign to launch TrumpTV all along.
after his announcement in 2015 where he called Mexican immigrants rapists.
"Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump," the network wrote in a statement.
Listen to the full interview with Sarah Ellison below:
