Donald Trump will "absolutely not" be returning to "The Apprentice," NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt told reporters Thursday.
The network severed ties with the GOP presidential front-runner this summer over statements he made about illegal Mexican immigrants bringing crime into the United States.
At the time, NBC announced it would not broadcast the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, which are partly owned by Trump, and though Trump and the network
already had agreed he would not return to "The Apprentice" for the next season because of his presidential run, there was speculation the highly rated show would have him back if he didn't succeed in his Oval Office bid.
But Greenblatt quashed that speculation in a Q&A at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Beverly Hills, Calif.
"Absolutely not," he said when asked about a possible Trump return.
NBC will not produce "The Apprentice" for the 2015-16 season,
Variety reports, and the show will return in 2016-17 with a new host.
"We're obviously looking for a host of that show that will make noise and will be a big personality," Greenblatt said. "There are a few people out there that fit that bill."
As for Trump's political ambitions, Greenblatt said, "I guess people are just, in the political world, looking for somebody who just speaks their mind, regardless of anything else. He does that. Whether you agree with anything he says, he says it without any kind of filter … there's probably something refreshing about that," adding that "at some point, you have to look at the message."
Greenblatt said Trump was always professional to work with and that he and NBC were never in an adversarial position.
"He worked really closely with Mark Burnett. It was a congenial, really great relationship," he said.
There is no ban on NBC working with Trump in the future, Greenblatt said, but added that "At the moment, we're sort of separated."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.