US5 min(s) read
Published 14:05 02 May 2026 GMT
It looks like Donald Trump Jr. could be on the verge of stepping into one of his dad's most famous roles, and the president himself sounds pretty on board with the idea.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday (April 30), Donald Trump was asked about reports that his eldest son might be about to follow in his footsteps with a major career switch. And he didn't exactly shoot the idea down.
The change in question? Don't expect a run for office (yet). This one's a return to the small screen.
The buzz had been building all week, and when Fox News' Peter Doocy put the question to the president directly, Trump gave a response that was mixed but broadly positive.
"Well, I've been hearing it," Trump said, as reported by Fox News.
"Look, we had a great success. Fourteen seasons, and 'The Apprentice' was a tremendous success.
"So, I've been hearing that a little bit. So, we'll see what happens. He's good. He's a good guy. He's probably good. He's got a little charisma going."
"You need a little charisma for that sucker. So, we'll see what happens."
Hardly a ringing endorsement, but not a flat denial either.
That's because the rumour doing the rounds is that Amazon is considering a reboot of The Apprentice, the reality competition show Trump Sr. hosted for 14 seasons. And Donald Trump Jr. is reportedly being floated as the new face of it.
The story originated with a report by The Wall Street Journal, which said Amazon executives had been internally discussing a reboot of the show, with Don Jr. mooted as a possible host.
Amazon now owns the rights to The Apprentice through its 2022 acquisition of MGM, and reportedly began exploring a revival in early 2025, around the same time Trump Sr. was sworn in for his second term.
A spokesperson for Amazon told Variety: "Since our acquisition of MGM, we have had preliminary internal discussions about what's next for The Apprentice as a property. The show is not in active development, and any reporting on details of the show or names of potential hosts would be purely speculative."
In other words: it's been talked about, but nothing has been formally green-lit, no one from the Trump family has actually been approached, and the whole thing might never happen.
A source close to Don Jr. even told Fox News Digital that the WSJ report was the first the 48-year-old had heard his name was in the mix.
Don Jr. wouldn't be a complete stranger to The Apprentice set if it does happen.
During his father's original run on the show, the Trump Organization Executive Vice President made multiple appearances as a stand-in 'boardroom adviser' alongside Trump executives Carolyn Kepcher and George Ross.
Beyond his real estate work, the 48-year-old has built up a significant public profile in his own right, authoring books, regularly appearing on cable news, making frequent (and often controversial) social media posts, and acting as a key surrogate during his father's three presidential campaigns.
Interestingly, Don Jr. wasn't always Trump Sr.'s top choice to take over the show.
In 2024, Trump revealed to Variety's co-editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh that, after he left the show in 2015 to run for president, he told NBC his daughter Ivanka would be his first pick to take over hosting duties.
"I said, 'The best person to hire would be Ivanka Trump,'" he said. "I didn't press it. But I felt Ivanka would have been by far the best person you could hire."
The role ultimately went to Arnold Schwarzenegger for one season of a celebrity-focused spin-off, before NBC ended the run.
Trump has since complained, repeatedly, that Schwarzenegger oversaw a 'ratings collapse' on the show, with the Terminator star firing back in his own viral videos at the time.
Predictably, news of a possible Don Jr.-fronted reboot has been met with mixed reactions.
On Friday's episode of The View, host Joy Behar set up the debate with: "So my question to you is, would Ivanka be a better host? Pick your train wreck."
Co-host Sunny Hostin quipped that "they can all just go on reality TV and get out of the White House and out of government," adding: "I would be very supportive of that."
She continued: "I just think one of the reasons why we have Donald Trump in office is because people saw him on The Apprentice and actually believed that he was a good business person."
For now, it remains speculation. Amazon hasn't committed to a reboot, the Trump family hasn't been formally approached, and even the president sounds like he's still making his mind up about whether his eldest son is up to the job.
But going off Trump Sr.'s 'we'll see what happens' response, this might be one rumour that has a few more episodes in it yet.
