Editor’s Note: Of all the articles written about Donald J. Trump, this article in the New York Times, which ran on the Sunday before the Republican National Convention, is one of the most insightful. Get an inside look how New York billionaire Trump parlayed his television show ‘The Apprentice’ into the Republican Party nominee for president.
The New York Times: Donald Trump the Political Showman, Born on ‘The Apprentice’
With its glamour and famous catchphrase — “You’re fired” — “The Apprentice,” which debuted in 2004, was the ultimate showcase for Donald J. Trump’s self-styled image as a power-wielding mogul. But it also served as a prequel of sorts for his improbable next act as a presidential nominee, who next week will return to prime time as the ringmaster of the Republican National Convention.
More than Mr. Trump’s real estate deals, the show transformed its star from a New York curiosity into a national sensation, introducing millions of viewers — and, later, voters — to a highly flattering, highly fictionalized version of Mr. Trump, more appealing than the real-life developer whose successes were tempered by bankruptcies and personal turmoil.
Mr. Trump, who had little previous television experience, revealed a showman’s mastery of the medium, which he used this year to confound political opponents and seduce ratings-hungry networks. — The New York Times