He's probably good. He's got a little charisma going.
In the shifting terrain where entertainment, commerce, and political proximity intersect, Amazon is quietly weighing whether to resurrect The Apprentice — the reality franchise that helped construct the myth of Donald Trump as a decisive business titan — this time with his son as its face. The discussions remain preliminary, the endorsements lukewarm, and the motivations layered: a $75 million documentary that lost money, a media library acquired in 2022, and a corporation navigating the gravitational pull of a powerful family. Whether this becomes television or merely a rumor says something about how institutions calculate loyalty in uncertain times.
- Amazon MGM Studios has been quietly circulating the idea of an Apprentice reboot since early 2025, with Trump Jr emerging as a potential host — a role he apparently learned about through press coverage, not a phone call.
- Trump Sr's public endorsement of his own son was conspicuously tepid — 'probably good' with 'a little charisma' — a phrase that lands differently when it comes from a father who spent over a decade perfecting the role himself.
- The shadow of Ivanka looms: Trump previously said on record that she would have been 'by far the best person' to host, a preference that now quietly complicates any coronation of her brother.
- Amazon's interest cannot be separated from its broader pattern of costly overtures to the Trump family, including a $75 million Melania documentary that earned only $16 million at the box office.
- Amazon is publicly maintaining distance — calling all specifics 'purely speculative' — while the internal conversations and circulating names suggest the project is more than idle fantasy.
Amazon is quietly exploring a revival of The Apprentice for Prime Video, with Donald Trump Jr surfacing as a potential host for the show his father made iconic. According to the Wall Street Journal, Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins began floating the idea internally around early 2025, coinciding with Trump Sr's return to the White House. Amazon has acknowledged that preliminary conversations about the franchise's future have occurred since it acquired MGM in 2022, while insisting that any reporting on specific hosts or details remains speculative.
Trump Jr reportedly discovered his own candidacy through media coverage rather than any direct outreach. When Trump Sr was asked about it at an Oval Office event, his endorsement was notably measured: 'He's probably good. He's got a little charisma going.' The phrasing carried the faint air of a man who knows the job well and isn't entirely convinced his son is the one for it — particularly given that Trump had previously said, on record, that Ivanka would have been 'by far the best person' to host.
The original Apprentice ran from 2004 to 2015, turning boardroom pressure and the phrase 'You're fired!' into a cultural shorthand for Trump himself. When he left to run for president, Arnold Schwarzenegger took over for a single season before departing, citing the show's toxic political associations. The franchise has been dormant since.
What makes Amazon's renewed interest notable is the context surrounding it. The company spent $75 million acquiring and marketing a Melania documentary that earned just $16 million at the box office — a loss that prompted questions about whether Amazon was purchasing goodwill rather than content. A Trump-hosted Apprentice reboot would extend that pattern, signaling a sustained corporate investment in proximity to the Trump family regardless of commercial outcome. For now, Amazon says nothing is confirmed — but the conversations have begun, and the name is already in circulation.
Amazon is quietly exploring whether to revive The Apprentice for Prime Video, and Donald Trump Jr has emerged as a potential candidate to host the show his father made famous. The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that Amazon MGM Studios head Mike Hopkins began circulating the reboot idea internally around early 2025, when Trump was being sworn in for his second term as president. Amazon declined to say the project is actively in development, but acknowledged to Variety that preliminary conversations about The Apprentice's future have taken place since the company acquired MGM and its library in 2022. "Any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative," Amazon said in a statement.
Trump Jr apparently learned about his potential new role the same way the public did—through media reports. On Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter cited someone close to him saying he had discovered the news from press coverage. When asked about the reports at an Oval Office event that same day, Trump Sr offered what might charitably be called a qualified endorsement. "Well, I've been hearing it," he said. "So we'll see what happens. He's good. He's a good guy. He's probably good. He's got a little charisma going." The phrasing—"probably good," "a little charisma"—suggested something less than ringing enthusiasm from a father who knows the role intimately.
The original Apprentice, which ran from 2004 to 2015, became a cultural phenomenon. Contestants competed in business challenges—selling products, negotiating deals—with the winner earning a position in Trump's company. The show's formula was simple and effective: watch ambitious people sweat under pressure, then watch Trump deliver his signature line. "You're fired!" became shorthand for Trump himself. The program spawned international versions and multiple spin-offs, cementing Trump's brand as a shrewd businessman willing to make hard calls.
But there is history here that complicates any revival. When Trump left the show to run for president, Arnold Schwarzenegger took over as host of The New Celebrity Apprentice in 2017. Schwarzenegger lasted one season before departing, citing the divisive political climate. "With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don't want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor or in any other way support the show," Schwarzenegger told Empire. Trump responded by claiming Schwarzenegger had been fired due to poor ratings, calling it a "sad end to great show."
There is also the matter of Trump's own stated preference for who should have hosted. Two years ago, in an interview for a book about the show, Trump said he believed his daughter Ivanka would have been the ideal choice. "I said, 'The best person to hire would be Ivanka Trump,'" he recalled. "I didn't press it. But I felt Ivanka would have been by far the best person you could hire." That comment, now public, hangs over any discussion of Trump Jr stepping into the role.
The timing of Amazon's interest is worth noting. The company spent $75 million to acquire and market Melania, a documentary about the first lady directed by Brett Ratner. The film cost $40 million to license—$26 million more than Disney's competing bid—and another $35 million went to marketing. Yet the film earned only $16 million at the box office, a striking loss that raised questions about whether Amazon was essentially paying for access and goodwill with the Trump family. A reboot of The Apprentice with a Trump in the host's chair would signal a continued investment in that relationship, regardless of the show's commercial prospects.
For now, Amazon is maintaining distance. The company says nothing is locked in, no deals are done, no hosts are confirmed. But the fact that Trump Jr's name is circulating, that internal conversations have begun, and that the Trump family remains central to Amazon's streaming strategy suggests the company sees value in reviving a show that defined an era of reality television—even if the man who built it is no longer available to host it.
Citas Notables
Any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative— Amazon statement to Variety
With Trump being involved in the show people have a bad taste and don't want to participate as a spectator or as a sponsor— Arnold Schwarzenegger, explaining why he left The New Celebrity Apprentice in 2017
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Amazon want to revive a show that's been off the air for over a decade? What's the actual appeal?
The Apprentice was a massive hit. It created a template for reality TV that still works—competition, stakes, a powerful judge figure. But more than that, it's tied to Trump. That's the draw and the problem both.
The problem being that Trump is divisive now?
Exactly. Schwarzenegger found that out. Sponsors didn't want to touch it. Viewers had strong feelings. But Amazon seems to be betting that enough time has passed, or that the audience has shifted, or that having Trump Jr instead of Trump Sr somehow makes it palatable again.
But Trump Sr didn't exactly seem thrilled about his son doing it.
No. He called him "probably good" with "a little charisma." That's not a ringing endorsement. And then you remember he said Ivanka would have been better. So there's this weird family dynamic playing out in public.
Is this really about the show, or is it about Amazon trying to stay in Trump's good graces?
Look at what they spent on the Melania documentary. Seventy-five million dollars for a film that made sixteen million back. That's not a business decision. That's a relationship investment. The Apprentice reboot feels like the same thing—a way to signal loyalty and access.