Omarosa Says DeSantis Told Her He Tried to Get on The Apprentice

Omarosa Manigault Newman says Ron DeSantis recently told her at Mar-a-Lago that he once tried to get cast on Donald Trump’s The Apprentice but did not make it onto the show. The claim, which has not been independently confirmed through public casting records, ties the Florida governor to the reality-TV machine that helped turn Trump into a national political brand. Omarosa, who rose to fame on the first season of The Apprentice before later working in Trump’s White House, is presenting the account as something DeSantis told her directly. That makes the story politically useful, but still dependent on her recollection unless others involved in the conversation or the show’s casting process corroborate it.

Amazon Revisits Trump’s Franchise

The comment lands as The Apprentice is back in the news for a different reason: Amazon has held internal discussions about reviving the franchise after acquiring MGM, which controls the show’s library and rights. Amazon has said the project is not in active development, and reporting has described the talks as early and speculative. Donald Trump Jr. has been floated as a possible host, though reports say the Trump family has not been formally approached. The timing gives Omarosa’s DeSantis story a wider frame, because the show is again being debated as a business property, a political symbol and a family-brand vehicle.

Omarosa Questions Don Jr.

Omarosa also said Donald Trump Jr. would not be the right person to lead a new version of The Apprentice, arguing that he lacks the kind of individual business success needed to anchor the format. Her criticism goes to the core of what made the original show work: the host had to project authority, wealth and judgment, even when the program was as much television theater as business competition. Trump Jr. appeared on the original series as an adviser, but the show was built around his father’s image as the final decision-maker. Amazon’s reported interest in him would keep the franchise close to the Trump name, but it would also invite questions over whether the reboot has a business premise or a political audience.

Ivanka as the Stronger Fit

Omarosa said Ivanka Trump would be a better choice because she has a more credible business profile and has already been associated with the boardroom side of the show. Ivanka became a regular adviser on The Apprentice after Carolyn Kepcher left and later appeared across the franchise as one of Trump’s children helping evaluate contestants. Trump himself has previously been reported to have favored Ivanka as a successor after he left the NBC series, with Don Jr. and Eric Trump discussed as possible advisers rather than the central host. That history strengthens Omarosa’s argument that Ivanka fits the format more naturally than her brother.

DeSantis and Trump’s Shadow

For DeSantis, the Apprentice claim cuts against the image he has tried to build as a disciplined executive politician rather than a product of celebrity culture. His national rise came through Florida politics, conservative policy fights and his 2024 challenge to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. Yet his career has repeatedly intersected with Trump’s orbit, from Trump’s endorsement in the 2018 Florida governor’s race to their bitter primary rivalry years later. If DeSantis did seek a role on The Apprentice before becoming a national figure, it would show how powerful Trump’s media platform looked to ambitious Republicans long before Trump entered the White House.

A Show Built for Power

The Apprentice premiered in 2004 and gave Trump a weekly stage to play the role of corporate judge, using firings, boardroom confrontations and luxury branding as the show’s grammar. It ran with Trump as host until he began his presidential campaign, and Arnold Schwarzenegger later took over for a short-lived version in 2017. The program mattered beyond ratings because it gave millions of viewers a simplified version of Trump as a commanding executive. That image became part of the raw material for his political appeal, which is why any reboot now carries more weight than an ordinary reality-TV revival.

No Casting File Yet

The risk for Omarosa’s account is the absence of public documentation. Without casting materials, producer confirmation or another witness to the Mar-a-Lago exchange, the DeSantis detail remains an attributed anecdote rather than a settled fact. The risk for Amazon is different: reviving The Apprentice with a Trump family member could draw viewers, but it could also make the company look as if it is buying into a political brand at a sensitive time. The next test is whether the reboot moves beyond internal talk — and whether anyone can verify that DeSantis once wanted a seat in Trump’s boardroom.