President Trump has reportedly discussed in private the prospect of reviving "The Apprentice," the reality TV show which made him a household name in the US.
The Daily Beast, citing two people familiar with the president's conversations, reported that Trump has made pointed references to bringing back the hit show in recent weeks, in the latest sign that he has privately accepted his defeat to President-elect Joe Biden in November's election.
The president has reportedly asked aides questions including "How would you like to see The Apprentice come back?" and "Remember The Apprentice?"
The Apprentice, in which contestants vied to work for Trump, was originally broadcast on NBC from 2004. It was a ratings hit and raked in the president over $400 million during the 11 years he starred on it, according to a New York Times report.
It is unclear whether Trump is seriously considering reviving the show, or the extent to which he has recently discussed the idea with Mark Burnett, the producer who created the show, the Daily Beast reported.
It is also unclear whether NBC or other networks would take a risk by giving Trump a starring role in a show given that he faces a slew of legal investigations once he leaves office in January.
It is not the first time Trump has been said to mull reviving the TV show during his time in the White House. The Daily Beast last year reported that the president had spoken with Mark Burnett, the NBC producer who created the show, on the phone and discussed creating a political version of the show.
Trump denied that he had held such discussions, calling the story "fake reporting."
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2019
A spokesman for Burnett told the Daily Beast that it was "not true" he had held any discussions with Trump about a new television show.
