Bill Pruitt, a former producer on "The Apprentice," recently claimed that Donald Trump used the N-word in a conversation caught on tape during the show's first season. Pruitt, who signed a nondisclosure agreement that expired this year, stated that off-camera discussions about contestant firings were recorded as a precaution against potential FCC inquiries regarding fixed outcomes on game shows.
According to Pruitt, Trump used the racial slur while discussing finalists Bill Rancic and Kwame Jackson. Trump allegedly questioned whether America would accept a Black person winning the competition. Despite Pruitt's account, a representative for the Trump campaign dismissed the claims as fabricated and suggested they were being resurfaced for political reasons.
This is not the first time allegations of Trump using the N-word on "The Apprentice" have been made. Former contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman also claimed to have heard a recording of Trump using the racial slur. Trump denied the existence of any such tape and criticized Manigault Newman as "wacky and deranged."
Rumors of outtake tapes from "The Apprentice" have circulated for years, but both Mark Burnett, the show's creator, and MGM, the production company's owner, have stated they do not have the legal rights to release any footage.
NBCUniversal, the network that aired "The Apprentice," declined to comment on Pruitt's claims. The controversy surrounding Trump's alleged use of the N-word on the show highlights the ongoing debate over the president's behavior and the ethical responsibilities of those involved in reality television production.