As the US election draws near, the release of The Apprentice movie—an unsettling biopic chronicling Donald Trump’s ascent in America during the 1970s and 1980s—feels particularly timely.
Portraying Trump is Sebastian Stan, while Jeremy Strong takes on the role of his controversial mentor, Roy Cohn. The Apprentice boldly confronts the unvarnished truths surrounding Trump’s journey to notoriety and wealth.
Unsurprisingly, the film’s provocative nature has sparked criticism from Trump himself, who signaled his intent to take legal action as early as May. Though his legal team issued a cease and desist order, the film premiered on October 11 regardless.
On October 14, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social—developed as a response to his Twitter ban in 2021—to label The Apprentice a “fake and classless” production, expressing hopes that it would fail at the box office.
A FAKE and CLASSLESS Movie written about me, called, The Apprentice (Do they even have the right to use that name without approval?), will hopefully “bomb.” It’s a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job, put out right before the 2024 Presidential Election, to…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) October 14, 2024
He stated: “It’s a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job, put out right before the 2024 Presidential Election, to harm the Greatest Political Movement in the History of our Country, ‘MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!’ My late ex-wife, Ivana, was an incredible and caring individual, and I cherished our relationship until the day she passed away.
“The author of this disgraceful script, Gabe Sherman, is a disreputable and untalented writer whose reputation has long been tarnished, yet he chose to disregard that fact.”
“It’s disheartening that individuals like those behind this ill-fated project are permitted to make statements and take actions aimed at undermining a Political Movement much greater than any one of us. MAGA2024!”
Among the most contentious scenes in The Apprentice is a portrayal of Trump sexually assaulting Ivana, which she documented during real-life testimony. She later labeled those claims as “completely unfounded,” made during a particularly strained time.
The Apprentice is currently playing in theaters. For additional information, explore our roundup of the top films of 2024.
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