Former NBC bigwig laments creating a 'monster' by popularizing Trump with 'The Apprentice,' endorses Harris

John D. Miller had a manus successful creating "The Apprentice," the amusement that supercharged erstwhile President Trump’s popularity, and helium present laments being involved.

Miller, who was the erstwhile seat of the NBCUniversal Marketing Council and main selling serviceman for NBC and NBCUniversal, wrote a mournful mea culpa for U.S. News headlined, "We Created a Monster: Trump Was a TV Fantasy Invented for 'The Apprentice.'"

"I privation to apologize to America," helium began. "I helped make a monster," recalling however helium "led the squad that marketed ‘The Apprentice,’ the world amusement that made Donald Trump a household sanction extracurricular of New York City. He claimed that successful bid to "sell" the amusement to audiences, "we created the communicative that Trump was a super-successful businessman who lived similar royalty. That was the conceit of the show. At the precise least, it was a important exaggeration; astatine worst, it created a mendacious communicative by making him look much palmy than helium was."

After noting Trump’s bankruptcies, helium claimed that "The imposing boardroom wherever helium famously fired contestants was a set, due to the fact that his existent boardroom was excessively aged and shabby for TV."

U.S. Republican statesmanlike nominee, erstwhile President Donald Trump dances during a run rally astatine Findlay Toyota Center connected October 13, 2024, successful Prescott Valley, Arizona. ( (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images))

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He besides contested that Trump had been the perfect prime for this amusement successful a definite sense, "because much palmy CEOs were excessively engaged to get progressive successful world TV and didn’t privation to prosecute random crippled amusement winners onto their enforcement teams."

He past argued that NBC itself, astatine the time, created what could beryllium called "fake news."

"At NBC, we promoted the amusement relentlessly. Thousands of 30-second promo spots that dispersed the phantasy of Trump’s expected concern acumen were beamed implicit the airwaves to astir each household successful the country," the erstwhile NBC bigwig wrote. "The representation of Trump that we promoted was highly exaggerated. In its ain way, it was ‘fake news’ that we dispersed implicit America similar a dense snowstorm. I ne'er imagined that the representation we painted of Trump arsenic a palmy businessman would assistance catapult him to the White House."

Of Trump himself, Miller warned that Trump would marque grandiose boasts astir the show’s popularity successful that "He thought helium could simply accidental thing implicit and over, and yet radical would judge it. He would accidental to me, "‘The Apprentice’ – America’s No. 1 TV show." But it wasn’t." The erstwhile NBC worker aboriginal quipped, "He didn’t similar being fact-checked backmost past either."

Former President Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris look to beryllium successful a choky contention arsenic the predetermination draws near. (Getty Images)

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While "The Apprentice" was a occurrence arsenic a show, Miller argued it did "irreparable harm" by boosting Trump’s nationalist image. 

"I profoundly regret that," helium said. "And I regret that it has taken maine truthful agelong to spell public."

The erstwhile NBC worker offered an alternative path, however.

"But I accidental present to my chap Americans, without immoderate promotional exaggeration: If you judge that Trump volition beryllium amended for you oregon amended for the country, that is an illusion, overmuch similar ‘The Apprentice’ was. Even if you are a born-and-bred Republican, arsenic I was, I powerfully impulse you to ballot for Kamala Harris," helium wrote. "The state volition beryllium amended disconnected and truthful volition you."

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Fox News Digital reached retired to the Trump run and to NBCUniversal and did not person an contiguous reply.