Donald Trump’s latest outburst on Truth Social has drawn widespread attention, as he lashed out at The Apprentice, a newly released biopic about his rise in New York’s real estate world. The former president’s reaction to the film’s portrayal of him and its timing ahead of the 2024 election has sparked controversy and a heated exchange between Trump and the movie’s director, Ali Abbasi.
Here’s a deeper look into Trump’s criticisms and the director’s response.
Donald Trump speaks about The Apprentice movie
Donald Trump has publicly criticized The Apprentice, a new film about his rise in New York real estate. He called it “a cheap, defamatory, and politically disgusting hatchet job” on his Truth Social account.
Directed by Ali Abbasi, the movie stars Sebastian Stan as Trump and Jeremy Strong as his lawyer and mentor, Roy Cohn. Trump further described The Apprentice as “a fake and classless” movie and expressed anger over its release shortly before the 2024 election. He claimed it aimed to harm his political movement, “Make America Great Again.”
The film premiered at Cannes in May, where Trump’s campaign labeled it “pure fiction” and threatened legal action (via Variety). Trump’s chief spokesperson, Steven Cheung, described the film as “garbage.” He claimed it sensationalized “lies that have been long debunked” and also accused “Hollywood elites” of interfering in the election.
Despite these objections, Abbasi responded to Trump’s criticism by offering to meet with him and discuss the film further, stating, “Today is a tight day w a lot of press for #TheApprentice but i might be able to give you a call tomorrow.”
The Apprentice delves into Trump’s relationship with Cohn. Abbasi acknowledged that the film struggled to find a U.S. distributor because of Trump’s legal threats but ultimately released it on October 11.
While reviews have been mixed, the movie offers a serious character study of Trump’s personality formation rather than a purely political critique. Abbasi expressed excitement over releasing the film ahead of the election to contribute to the ongoing conversation.
