Producers of Donald Trump’s reality show The Apprentice were shocked by the dismal state of Trump Tower’s 26th floor when they first visited in 2003. According to new details from the book Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success by New York Times reporters Russ Buettner aand Susanne Craig, the producers were greeted with a musty carpet odor that clung to the space like an “invisible cloud.” told by Yahoo.
The floor, intended to serve as the show’s backdrop, was marked by “scores of chips in the finish of the wooden desks and credenzas” and decor that felt outdated, making it resemble a relic from Trump’s early fame. “When you go into the office and you’re hearing ‘billionaire,’ even ‘recovering billionaire,’ you don’t expect to see chipped furniture or smell carpet in dire need of refreshment,” said producer Bill Pruitt. Fellow producer Alan Blum agreed, calling the situation “absurd.” report from Ground News.
Mark Burnett, the show’s creator, ended up paying Trump almost half a million dollars annually for space on the fourth floor, which was converted into a fake boardroom and contestants’ apartments. Producer Jonathon Braun admitted their role was to create an illusion of legitimacy for Trump. “Our job was to make him look legitimate, to make him look like there was something behind it,” Braun said, despite the team’s awareness that this was far from reality.
