Because we live a f*cking reality show now, Donald Trump is teaming up with Mark Burnett, the creator of “reality” shows like The Apprentice, Survivor, The Voice and Shark Tank to create a made-for-television spectacle of inauguration day:
At a breakfast fund-raiser at Manhattan’s Cipriani 42nd Street, Mr. Trump on Wednesday gave a tantalizing hint at the inaugural festivities to come for a reality TV star-turned-president: The helicopter grand entrance.
The president-elect said he was paid a visit a day earlier by Mark Burnett, the executive producer of “The Apprentice,” the reality show that helped make the president-elect a household name. Mr. Trump told the crowd that Mr. Burnett proposed reinventing the inauguration with a helicopter taking off from New York City, according to an attendee.
Mr. Burnett, who is known for producing shows like “Survivor,” “The Voice” and “Shark Tank” as well, also told Mr. Trump that he should consider a parade up Fifth Avenue.
Mark Burnett, who gave Donald Trump a platform to act as a creep toward female contestants on Trump’s Burnett-produced Apprentice for 14 seasons refused to even confirm the many reports of even more vile comments from his star:
What’s holding Burnett back, insiders explain, is nothing more than the keen business acumen, airtight contractual arrangements and salesmanship that have propelled him to the top of his profession.
Since last weekend, when Bill Pruitt, a former Apprentice producer, tweeted in the aftermath of Trump’s lewd and abusive comments about women in old Access Hollywood outtakes that “there are far worse” Trump comments in the Apprentice archives, the most fevered parlor game from Hollywood to Washington to New York has been when or whether such material might surface.
Another former Burnett producer, Chris Nee, later claimed on Twitter—in a tweet since deleted—that she had heard from Apprentice producers and crew that Trump had been heard using the “N-word,” and that the contractual penalty for any Burnett employee who disclosed proprietary information about the show was $5 million. (Nee later said she had only heard rumors of Trump’s words.) And the Associated Press reported that former crew members, staffers and contestants on the show said Trump used demeaning and sexist language about female contestants, ranked them by breast size and talked about which ones he’d like to have sex with.
For what it’s worth, more people undoubtedly would have come if not for the strict non-disclosure agreements that every living being that comes within 50 feet of Donald Trump has to sign—that includes his presidential transition team:
The agreement legally bars transition staffers from disclosing info about major portions of the transition work, like policy briefings, personnel material, donor info, fundraising goals, budgets, contracts, or any draft research papers. It also demands that if anyone on the team suspects a colleague of leaking material, he or she must tell transition team leadership. And it gives the Trump team grounds to tell those who run afoul of the rules: “You’re fired.”
If anyone is caught giving away info about the transition, he or so could face a court order to force them to stop, the Trump transition NDA says. Paid staffers, consultants, and volunteers all had to sign the document, one source close to the transition said. A Trump spokesperson and incoming White House Counsel, Don McGahn, did not respond to requests for comment.
This practice of using a non-disclosure agreement dates back to the Trump campaign and even his businesses. The campaign non-disclosure form differed slightly, according to past news reports, because it also included a “disparagement” clause which prevented campaign staffers from saying anything demeaning about Trump. The same went for the agreement for those who worked for Trump’s businesses. The transition non-disclosure that POLITICO obtained does not include a so-called disparagement clause.
None of this is normal. None of it.
Thursday, Dec 8, 2016 · 2:57:24 PM +00:00
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Jen Hayden
The New York Times has new, somewhat conflicting information about the Inauguration Day ceremonies. Yes, Mark Burnett is heavily involved and is producing much of the event. But, reality and security concerns seem to be scaling back their grandiose ideas. It would seem there will be no parade up Fifth Avenue after all. No grand helicopter display through New York City. More from the NYT:
In many ways, the discussion between the three men in Mr. Trump’s office tower encapsulates the dueling impulses of the president-elect, a man who enjoys being at the center of attention, but who is also aware that he was elected on a strong populist message of “draining the swamp” of Washington cronyism and extravagance.
In reality, Mr. Trump’s festivities are constrained by security concerns surrounding the modern presidency, making some gaudier displays impossible and other far-flung ones unrealistic. Each event under consideration must be vetted by the overlapping agencies responsible for securing the transfer of power, including the Secret Service, responsible for a president’s security, and the National Park Service, which controls the Mall in Washington.
“You have five gigantic security groups that dictate what can and can’t be done,” Mr. Barrack said.