TRUMP accused of saying N-word on Season 1 of 'Apprentice' when talking about a Black contestant

Thursday, May 30, 2024 - An ex-producer on "The Apprentice" has accused former United States of America's President, Donald Trump of using the N-word on season 1 of the show.

Bill Pruitt, a producer on the first season of the hit NBC show in 2004, who went on to work on it for years, has published an article on Slate, accusing the former President of using the derogatory word while discussing a Black contestant.

He said Trump used the word while mulling over the finalists for season 1, namely, Bill Rancic (who won the show that year in 2004) and Kwame Jackson, the runner-up.

Pruitt described it this way, he said he, Carolyn Kepcher (who ran Trump's hospitality units at the time), and Jay Bienstock (the 'Apprentice' showrunner at the time) were huddled up to discuss the last two guys in a recorded moment.

He said this was meant to be filmed as a lead-up to Trump's ultimate decision and as the team briefed the former President on who they thought would be best, he allegedly winced at the suggestion that Kwame should be considered the top dog.

Pruitt says Kepcher told him, "I think Kwame would be a great addition to the organization," to which Trump allegedly grimaced. Pruitt says Trump asked why Kwame didn't fire Omarosa after some problems and the former President's team defended Kwame, saying he didn't have that power.

Then Trump allegedly said; "Yeah, but, I mean, would America buy a n***** winning?" Pruitt said Kepcher went pale after hearing this and claimed Trump continued to wince as he mulled it all over, seeming serious about not wanting Kwame to take first place. Bienstock then allegedly changed the subject and pivoted to George Ross, one of Trump's attorneys who was also supposedly in the mix for this conversation.

After that, Pruitt says no one acknowledged what Trump said and the alleged recorded moment never saw the light of day neither did other unsavoury things he claims Trump said during filming. Trump has long denied ever saying it and there's never been proof. However, this is the first time anyone's described the alleged utterance of it from Trump's lips.

A rep for the Trump campaign has reacted to the claim, saying;

"This is a completely fabricated and bull*** story that was already peddled in 2016. Nobody took it seriously then, and they won’t now, because it’s fake news. Now that Crooked Joe Biden and the Democrats are losing the election, they are bringing up old fake stories from the past because they are desperate."