What I Learned While Binge-Watching The Apprentice
By Dawn Sturmon
When President Trump announced that The Apprentice Season 1 was returning to the airwaves after 20 years, I dropped everything (except my phone — how else would I document this in real time?) and hit play on Amazon Prime.
For two reasons:
I miss the good old days — the pre-social media, pre-internet-tantrum era when television was just television, not a political battlefield.
I wanted to compare the “then” Trump to the “now” Trump. Spoiler: The man has always been the man.
So, naturally, I binged the whole season. Here’s what I learned.
Trump Is Who He Is
Watching The Apprentice Season 1 (circa 2004) makes one thing clear: While the rest of us have spent decades shapeshifting with Instagram trends and public opinion, Donald Trump has not. He’s always been confident, always decisive, always unapologetically himself — same wardrobe, same iconic hair, same zero-hesitation approach to firing someone on the spot. No reinvention, no PR-polished makeover. The man we saw then is the man we see now — just with a presidential résumé and unlawful legal battles that make Succession look tame.
Trump Is Real
Reality TV is an oxymoron — except when it isn’t. Trump wasn’t playing a role on The Apprentice. He wasn’t trying to be the villain or the hero. He was just himself. The boardroom meetings weren’t performances; they were Trump being Trump, making decisions with the same certainty that he later applied to trade deals and signing executive orders. This, my friends, is why people either love him or hate him. There is no middle ground with a person who operates without pretense.
Trump Is an Amazing Businessman Because He Loves Business
If you ever doubted Trump’s business acumen, a single episode of The Apprentice will remind you why he was the gold standard for success long before he was the gold standard for politics. He doesn’t just like making money — he loves it. The deal, the chase, the numbers, the bottom line — it’s his version of a dopamine hit. He talks about business the way some people talk about their first love, and the energy is contagious.
The way he dissected profit margins, negotiated deals, and understood branding was masterful. Even back then, he wasn’t just hiring someone to run a single division of his empire — he was looking for a killer instinct, a survival-of-the-fittest mentality that mirrored the real business world. And while corporate America has since pivoted to “team-building” and “soft skills,” let’s be real — Trump’s model of cutthroat business still gets results. There’s no entitlement, no hand-holding, no participation trophies. You either make money, or you’re fired.
Trump Knows How to Get Things Done
One of the most striking things about The Apprentice is how efficiently things get accomplished. There’s no drawn-out bureaucracy, no endless committee meetings, no never-ending red tape — just clear objectives, quick decisions, and real outcomes. Trump doesn’t dwell. He moves forward. If something isn’t working, he changes course. If someone isn’t pulling their weight, they’re gone. It’s a lesson in leadership that, quite frankly, modern-day corporations (and, dare I say, governments) could learn from.
Trump Values Strategy Over Shortcuts
Take Episode 4, when the women's team, Protégé, had been relying heavily on a “sex sells” approach in multiple competitions. They had used their looks, flirtation, and charm to win over customers, and it was working. But Trump wasn’t impressed. He made it a point to call them out, telling them outright that they shouldn’t lean on that strategy.
This was 2004, long before the Me Too movement made its way into mainstream discourse. For him to take the time to address it, to make it clear that business acumen should outweigh provocative gimmicks, shows that he cared about more than just winning in the short-term. He wanted to see smart strategy, not shortcuts. He wanted to reward true business instincts, negotiation skills, and leadership — not a reliance on surface-level distractions. In a way, that moment was a subtle foreshadowing of Trump’s deep-rooted belief in merit and hard work over performative tactics. His message was clear: Success in business and in life should be earned, not handed out for playing into cheap tricks.
Trump Loves NYC
Throughout The Apprentice, you can feel Trump’s deep love for New York City. The city is his playground, his empire, his identity. Every episode is a love letter to the skyline, the energy, the people. He isn’t just showing contestants how to navigate business; he’s showing them how to navigate his city. The man romanticizes real estate the way poets romanticize Paris, and honestly? It’s kind of inspiring.
Trump Admits When He’s Wrong
Contrary to popular belief, Trump does admit mistakes — just in his own way. He calls it like it is, but he also gives credit where it’s due. His ability to pivot mid-game, to adjust strategy on the fly, is the mark of someone who knows that winning requires adaptability. (Not that he enjoys losing, but who does?)
Take Episode 7, for example. During the boardroom scene, Trump admitted that even he had been duped in business before. Yep, even The Donald. He acknowledged that sometimes, no matter how sharp or experienced you are, bad people exist. It was a rare moment of humility — but more importantly, a lesson: Mistakes don’t define you. How you recover from them does. Instead of dwelling, Trump showed that the real power move is recognizing the misstep, course-correcting, and moving forward.
Trump Looks Out for People
Beneath the tough exterior, Trump has a big heart. He was unexpectedly generous with contestants who showed drive and integrity — encouraging them, giving second chances, and softening when he saw potential. It’s a side of him rarely highlighted in the media but impossible to miss if you actually watch the show.
Despite The Apprentice’s cutthroat nature, Trump showed in it that he respects hard work, and if you prove yourself, he has your back. He wasn’t firing people for sport; he was teaching them the reality of business. And yes, he’s a nice guy. Case in point: Episode 7, when Heidi’s mother was very sick. Without hesitation, Trump offered her the option to go home, assuring her it wouldn’t count against her. As someone who’s worked in TV, I know when a moment is staged — this wasn’t. It was real. Beyond the boardroom bravado, he cared.
Trump Believes That You Have to Have Passion to Be Successful
If there’s one thing Trump has never been accused of, it’s indifference. The man is all in on whatever he does, and he expects the same from everyone around him. Case in point: The boardroom scene in Episode 9, when he tells team Protégé, “You tried to sell something that you didn’t believe in. You didn’t like your product. And you’ll never be successful in selling a product that you don’t like and don’t believe in. That was your biggest mistake.”
This is classic Trump — success isn’t just about skill; it’s about conviction. He doesn’t half-heartedly enter a deal, a campaign, or a handshake, for that matter. He lives for what he does, and if you don’t bring that same energy, well — you're fired.
The Pull-In Handshake Move Existed Back Then Too!
At the end of Episode 9, when Trump shakes Nick’s hand, it’s unmistakable — the signature Trump power handshake. The firm grip, the pull-in motion, the undeniable assertion of dominance. Long before it became a global headline-grabbing diplomatic move, it was already a staple in his business dealings.
Handshakes have symbolized agreement for thousands of years, but Trump turned them into power plays. His grip-and-yank move isn’t about pleasantries — it’s about authority, a physical reminder that he’s in charge. Rewatching The Apprentice, it’s clear: this isn’t a new tactic. It was always part of his playbook.
Final Thoughts
Revisiting The Apprentice Season 1 now, with two decades of hindsight, is both nostalgic and illuminating. It’s a reminder of a time when reality TV was still fun, business was still ruthless, and Trump was still, well, Trump. Love him or hate him, the man has always been exactly who he says he is. And in a world full of rebrands, facades, and politically calculated personas, that might just be the rarest thing of all.
Also, I haven’t stopped thinking about the butter-yellow crewneck sweatshirt Trump wears in Episode 15. If anyone has intel on where to find one, my DMs are open.
A freelance writer, Dawn has crisscrossed the country in a unique path — from holding cue cards on Saturday Night Live to working on Super Bowl commercials. A lover of truth, interior design, french fries, and fashion, you can find her dressed in a hoodie or for the Met Gala — there’s no in-between. She's on Instagram @the.mood.bar.