A former “The Apprentice” participant named Gene Folkes has revived claims that Donald Trump was racist and bigoted when the reality star was a contestant. A little while after his elimination from the program in 2010, Folkes—one of just two Black participants that season—recounted an event.
It was at a bar within Trump Tower when Trump contacted Folkes after his firing. In his remarks on Folkes’ romance with a Black female crew member, Trump implied that the two were a perfect fit because of their shared history. After the lady brought up the fact that she was Trump’s employee, the president brushed off the remark, saying, “It’s not like I used the N-word,” and then he left.
As Trump seeks reelection to the presidency, these accusations have arrived at a pivotal moment. An ex-producer of “The Apprentice,” Bill Pruitt, reportedly said that Trump had used the n-word in reference to one of the Black contestants from season one, Kwame Jackson. Despite denials from Trump’s campaign, these charges have become more prominent in political discussions.
The accusations made by Folkes are like those he made in a blog post after his dismissal, in which he criticized Trump. As part of their efforts to handle the consequences from the broadcast, NBC allegedly issued a cease-and-desist order in response. Folkes said that NBC offered him treatment sessions to help him deal with the situation.
Beyond his time on “The Apprentice,” Trump has a history of racially offensive behavior. From supporting the birther conspiracy theory against President Obama to engaging in discriminatory tactics in his real estate firm, he has been the target of racist charges throughout his career.
Regardless of these scandals, Trump’s reality TV business is still important to his public image. His public persona was further enhanced by “The Apprentice,” which portrayed him as an influential and prosperous business magnate. He won the presidency in 2016 despite facing several accusations of wrongdoing, and this image was a major factor in his ascent to power.
These accusations of racist conduct from Trump’s past keep popping up as he tries to win over Black voters. To turn the tide against Trump, the campaign of Vice President Joe Biden has focused on these allegations.
The candidate who purportedly took Trump’s remark personally, Kwame Jackson, considered the bigger picture and wondered whether fresh information might change people’s minds. Overt and covert racism in the United States must be thoroughly investigated, according to Jackson.
These fresh accusations throw fuel to the fire of the already heated political climate around Trump’s leadership qualifications and his record of treatment of Black people.
