NBC: Trump Won’t Announce Run on 'Apprentice'

Donald Trump will not use his reality show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” to shed light on his presidential ambitions, an NBC publicist told the National Journal on Tuesday. A Trump spokesman countered that a statement of some kind timed to the May 22 season finale is still “not inconceivable.”

It was a two-step process that Trump laid out last month in an exclusive to Newsmax’s Ronald Kessler. The real estate dealmaker, a Republican, said he would appear in the “Apprentice” wrap to announce a later press conference at which his ultimate decision would be revealed.

NBC spokeswoman Sharron Pannozzo threw cold water on that scenario, noting the show’s last two episodes, taped in November, are already in the can.

“There will be no announcement,” said Pannozzo. “It’s just misinformation on his part.”

Some observers speculated that Trump was feigning interest in order to boost ratings for “Celebrity Apprentice.” Whatever the intent, Trump’s criticisms of President Barack Obama on topics ranging from his birthplace to the economy raised his political profile and helped land him atop at least one voter-preference poll.