Former Apprentice producer Bill Pruitt, whose NDA just expired after 20 years, writes in Slate that then-corrupt businessman/game show host referred to the first season’s runner-up, Kwame Jackson, as the n-word when deciding to choose his white guy, Bill Rancic, as the competition’s winner. And it’s on tape, somewhere, as the production staff recorded all behind the scenes meetings to determine the outcome, but Pruitt is less than optimistic it can be found.
“Why didn’t he just fire her?” Trump asks, referring to Omarosa. It’s a reasonable question. Given that this the first time we’ve ever been in this situation, none of this is something we expected.
“That’s not his job,” Bienstock says to Trump. “That’s yours.” Trump’s head continues to bob.
“I don’t think he knew he had the ability to do that,” Kepcher says. Trump winces again.
“Yeah,” he says to no one in particular, “but, I mean, would America buy a [n-word] winning?”
Kepcher’s pale skin goes bright red. I turn my gaze toward Trump. He continues to wince. He is serious, and he is adamant about not hiring Jackson.
Bienstock does a half cough, half laugh, and swiftly changes the topic or throws to Ross for his assessment. What happens next I don’t entirely recall. I am still processing what I have just heard. We all are. Only Bienstock knows well enough to keep the train moving. None of us thinks to walk out the door and never return. I still wish I had.
Slate adds that the other two people in the room, showrunner Jay Bienstock and then-Trump Organization Executive VP Carolyn Kepcher did not reply to requests for comments about the incident. Pruitt writes earlier in the piece (which is chock full of other embarrassing shit) that he’s come to believe that the tape of this exchange and others “will never be found.”