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Trump has good reasons for not wanting people to watch “The Apprentice.”

Posted on by Kennedy
Trump has good reasons for not wanting people to watch “The Apprentice.”

Given former President Donald Trump's combative nature, it was hardly a surprise that the former president would accompany a film dedicated to his formative years as a real estate mogul with the threat of legal action against “patently false claims made by these alleged filmmakers,” as Trump's campaign team said. welcomed speaker Steven Cheung remarked in May. Despite this usually aggressive assertion, I would argue that the Republican presidential nominee has good reasons for not wanting people to see “The Apprentice,” which hits theaters this week.

It was no surprise that the former president greeted a film about his formative years as a real estate mogul with the threat of legal action.

The film's most shocking and powerful scene shows the fictional Trump raping his then-wife Ivana, which the real Trump and Ivana deny (more on that below). It's a moment that will likely dominate the conversation. But when it comes to understanding what drives Trump and his often casual approach to facts, the rest of the film is unflattering in a timely and clearly meaningful way.

The film was written by journalist Gabriel Sherman and directed by Ali Abbasi (whose credits include the film “Border” and episodes of HBO’s “The Last of Us”). The film largely revolves around Trump's crucial relationship with Roy Cohn, the red-baiting lawyer. “Guardianship” gives the title a double meaning, considering that the television show shaped and embellished Trump's image. “The Apprentice” introduces the young Trump character (played by Sebastian Stan) as he tries to escape the shadow of his domineering father, gradually with considerable help from Cohn, portrayed with over-the-top enthusiasm by “Succession’s” Jeremy Strong “. .

Cohn spots Trump in a crowded, upscale club and takes him under his wing. He first helps him with a lawsuit over allegations of discriminatory rental practices in his run-down apartment buildings and later with his ambitious development plans in New York.

“You are the customer, but you work for me,” the imperious Cohn tells him. “That means you do what I say when I say it.”

As portrayed in the film, Cohn – who was essentially a Mafia lawyer at the time – will do anything to win, up to and including harassing and blackmailing city officials. What “The Apprentice” really captures, however, is how Trump learned from Cohn by adopting and internalizing his rules of public combat: “1. Attack, attack, attack. 2. Admit nothing, deny everything. 3. No matter what happens, you claim victory and never admit defeat.”

Although “The Apprentice” takes the usual dramatic liberties in adapting a fact-based story to the screen, many of the basic tenets were chronicled in previous projects such as the 2019 documentary “Where's My Roy Cohn?” The title quotes Trump during his time in the White House, with author Michael Wolff reporting that he occasionally asked aloud, “Where's my Roy Cohn,” frustrated that he couldn't find lawyers who would represent him bare-knuckled, like Cohn did.

As is often the case (and every Star Wars fan recognizes it), the apprentice eventually became the master. And Cohn's declining health due to AIDS makes him one of the many people Trump uses and discards in his rise to the top.

Even though Trump is anything but modest in his meeting with Cohn, he still develops his trademark swagger. Cohn is shown bossing Trump around and introducing him to the right people, including Andy Warhol, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, political operative Roger Stone and publishing mogul Rupert Murdoch (“Rupert will be the key for you,” Cohn agrees him).

Aside from Cohn, the film also examines Trump's relationship with his first wife Ivana, whom he aggressively pursues, marries and eventually grows tired of. Their deteriorating relationship culminates in the brutal encounter, which she cited in a statement related to her divorce, which, as The New Yorker detailed, she initially wanted to clarify but later disavowed as a “baseless” story. (Ivana is portrayed by Maria Bakalova, who first gained attention for her role in the “Borat” sequel and her hotel room interaction with Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani.)

Trump's campaign has dismissed “The Apprentice” as “pure fiction” and “malicious slander.”

Trump's campaign has dismissed “The Apprentice” as “pure fiction” and “malicious slander.” Still, any careful observer of Trump can see how true his broad fundamentals ring, especially Cohn's advice to win no matter what and his declarations “There is no 'Truth' with a capital T” and “Truth is a malleable thing .” ”

Trump's conduct in public life, certainly over the last decade, underscores how much he has taken these lessons to heart. When the truth doesn't matter, lying becomes not just a strategy but a form of protective armor.

In this sense, “The Apprentice” is the oldest origin story, in which the mentor finds out the hard way how well he has accomplished his task.

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