At hush money trial, newest edition of ‘Apprentice’ featuring Donald Trump unfolds with VP candidates queuing up
A group of participants have arrived for the latest season of “The Apprentice” at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse.
Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, and Florida Rep. Byron Donalds all made appearances in this week’s episode as they compete to be Donald Trump’s running mate during the Manhattan DA “Fat Alvin” Bragg’s hush money trial.
“I do have a lot of surrogates and they are speaking very beautifully,” Trump informed reporters.
In previous episodes, they have auditioned at Mar-a-Lago for the vice presidential candidate role or have made television appearances with sharp criticisms on lawfare.
Burgum quickly became the top favorite in bookmakers’ rankings after appearing alongside Trump at a GOP rally in Wildwood, NJ, over the weekend.
However, as fans of the original NBC series featuring Trump from 2004 to 2017 will know, the winner is not always obvious halfway through a season. Sometimes, it was the most unexpected person or a dark horse that was overlooked.
Episodes would conclude with Trump eliminating one contestant with the famous catchphrase, “You’re fired!”
Only two contestants have made it eligible for the iconic phrase so far.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem faced challenges after controversial statements and was forced to retract improbable anecdotes, leading to her elimination.
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley’s failure to drop out of the primary early and endorse Trump led to her removal from consideration.
The prize for this season is unique.
The winner not only becomes the VP but also starts running for president in two years since Trump is limited to one final term.
With a wide field and tough competition, Trump has not yet made a decision on his running mate.
While there have been suggestions to choose a woman or a black candidate to increase appeal to certain demographics, Trump remains focused on finding the right person regardless of demographics.
Emerging candidate
He is believed to be looking for someone who can assist him in getting elected, raising funds, is loyal, and can continue his legacy for another eight years.
There are a couple of dark-horse candidates attracting attention, including Tennessee Sen. Bill Hagerty and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Both have shown interest in serving in a second Trump administration.
Hagerty seems to be the more likely VP pick, while Pompeo may return to his previous role in the administration.
