Former U.S. President Donald Trump attacked The Apprentice, a 2024 biographical drama charting his rise in New York real estate during the 1970s and his relationship with infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. The film, directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, has been mired in controversy since its release in October 2024. Trump named the film a “disgusting hatchet job,” which is defamatory, politically motivated, and to injure his image in advance of the 2024 presidential election.
The film is an unflattering portrait of his early business dealings and personal relationships—notably with his father, Fred Trump, and his first wife, Ivana Trump—and paints a picture of a man who seemed to come into an early career marked by questionable ethics. Trump answered in a post on Truth Social that the film is a “pile of garbage” while accusing its makers of partisan unfairness and unethical practices. He went so far as to call the filmmakers “human scum” and said the film had been an attempt to sabotage his campaigning for political office.
The Filmmakers’ Perspective
Although Trump was quick to attack The Apprentice with some scathing criticism, the film has been noted for its daring storytelling and casting, which includes Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as Roy Cohn. The movie struggled hard to find a distributor but managed to secure a release on more than 1,700 screens. Those against the film have mentioned that it gave a very subtle look at the formative years of Trump under the tutelage of Cohn, which set the course of how he would later approach politics and public relations.
Abbasi, the film’s director, too reacted to Trump’s critique by inviting him for a further discussion: “I am available to talk further if he would like.” Sherman similarly has defended the on-screen portrayal, saying that the story is based on very researched information, public records, and interviews with people who knew Trump from early years. Sherman postulates that the film sheds light on parts of Trump’s life that are not well known and that are crucial in understanding his ascendency to power.
Political Timing and Impact on Election
To be released only weeks before the 2024 presidential election, The Apprentice has drawn speculation over how it may affect the fortunes of Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign. Loyalists to the former president view it as an overt attempt to engineer a defeat in his possibilities of returning to the White House; for his part, Trump has said that such a film is part of a grand media scheme to malign him in the eyes of the public. Those against Trump, however, feel that the film was an about-time investigation into his past and one that gave voters a more profound insight into his character and values.
Press reports of Trump’s reaction to the film have framed both the movie and his reaction in terms of political consequence. Trump-friendly conservative media reinforce Trump’s position that the film constitutes a “cheap shot,” while more liberal venues have celebrated the film for its illumination of Trump’s association with, among others, the politically notorious attorney Cohn.
Public Reception and Box Office Performance
Despite the hyper-media interest in The Apprentice, reaction to the film has been very mixed from both the public and critics. Early box office results have been spotty, but some of that can perhaps be laid at the feet of polarized subject matter. Critical notices have likewise been sharply divided, with praise for the ambition and performances being Strong’s Cohn particularly wild, while others chide it for its reliance on anti-Trumpism. Notably, Trump’s reaction would perhaps serve to polarize any potential viewership, wherein his base rejects the film out of hand while his opponents embrace it as a timely critique of his rise to power.
Broader Media Reactions
News outlets both large and small up and down the political spectrum have reported on Trump’s reaction. Major platforms like The Hill, Screen Daily, The Independent, and Yahoo News all feature in-depth reports on both the film and Trump’s virulent disapproval. Commentators framed the response in the context of his wider approach of denying any adverse indicator reflected upon his character—a line of defense he has firmly clung to throughout his presidency. Meanwhile, the entertainment media have debated the cinematic merits of the film, questioning whether its dark lens on Trump’s most controversial past moments will have resonance with a broad audience beyond the politically invested.
By denouncing The Apprentice, Trump makes one more drama-ridden addition to an already drama-ridden election season. Whether the film will have any long-term consequence on his political fortunes is yet to be told, but it has most unquestionably become a flashpoint in the continuing cultural and political discourse with regard to Trump’s legacy.
