Donald Trump blasts ‘The Apprentice’, claims politically motivated attack ahead of 2024 U.S. presidential elections

A still from ‘The Apprentice’

Former President Donald Trump is outraged over the release of The Apprentice, Ali Abbasi’s new biopic that explores his rise to prominence as a real estate tycoon in the 1980s. The film, which opened in 1,700 theaters across the U.S., pulled in just $1.6 million in its first weekend, ranking 10th at the box office. Trump wasted no time in slamming the film, calling it “fake and classless” in a scathing post on Truth Social, his own social media platform.

“A FAKE and CLASSLESS Movie written about me, called, The Apprentice… will hopefully ‘bomb,’” Trump wrote, accusing the film of being a politically motivated attack ahead of the 2024 Presidential Election. He also criticized the film’s screenwriter, Gabriel Sherman, calling him a “lowlife and talentless hack” and claiming the film was an attempt to damage the “Greatest Political Movement in the History of our Country.”

The Apprentice, stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and focuses on his mentorship under Roy Cohn, portrayed by Jeremy Strong. The film also delves into Trump’s relationship with his first wife, Ivana, played by Maria Bakalova, and includes a controversial scene depicting an alleged sexual assault, a claim Ivana made during their divorce but later retracted.

In order to authentically portray Trump’s evolution on screen, Abbasi emphasized capturing the nuances of his persona beyond physical traits. He adds, “ We realized that if we get too close to him, we’re in Saturday Night Live territory. If we get too far away, you don’t really feel [like it’s him]. There is a part of him that’s instantly recognizable, so you had to distill some of those characteristics within a package that is not [trying to be completely identical to him]. It’s not important that you nail the exact same hairdo of Donald, but it’s important that you get the impression and the same roughness. You had to recreate him in another body in a way. ”

Trump’s legal team had tried to block the release of the film after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, sending a cease-and-desist letter to Abbasi and Sherman in May. Despite these efforts, the film hit theaters just as Trump campaigns for the Republican nomination in the upcoming 2024 election.