January 2005
“Trumped” radio transcripts
Super Bowl
It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a year since Janet Jackson shocked us with her
disgusting peepshow -- accidental or not -- during the Super Bowl halftime.
Knowing they would be under a great deal of scrutiny this time, this year the NFL is
taking no chances. Former Beatle Paul McCartney headlines this year’s halftime show.
I’d venture to guess that Paul won’t have scantily clad backup dancers, obscene gestures
or wardrobe malfunctions. That’s just not in Paul’s vocabulary.
In addition, FOX has rejected a proposed Super Bowl commercial that featured Mickey
Rooney’s backside. Not that anybody really wants to see my friend Mickey in the buff.
But isn’t that maybe taking things a little too far?
In any case, it looks like this is going to be a really G-rated Super Bowl broadcast. But
don’t hold your breath. Anything can happen. We found that out last year with Janet
Jackson.

 New Beauty Pageant
As the owner of the Miss USA and the Miss Universe beauty pageants, I’m obviously a
big fan of beauty and talent competitions. But this new pageant in China has me
scratching my head.
China will air a beauty pageant where every single contestant has had plastic surgery. Not
one of the beautiful women who will walk across that stage has her good looks courtesy
of Mother Nature. Contestants in the Miss Artificial Beauty Pageant include a 62-year-old
woman as well as many other women who have spent the equivalent of tens of thousands
of dollars on everything from liposuction and nose jobs and, I guarantee you, breast
implants. So now they have a place to strut their newly remodeled stuff.
A lot of people have a problem with this kind of a pageant. I really don’t. Some women
are born beautiful. Others aren’t. But if a good surgeon can make somebody look better,
what’s wrong with that? Isn’t it maybe even fair?

 Crazy Laws
Apparently, legislators around the world have too much time on their hands. I just read
that a Brazilian legislator wants to make it illegal to give pets names that are also the
names of people.
But of course I knew this couldn’t possibly be the only dumb law, so I did some digging
around and there are other stupid bits of legislation going on in our crazy world.
In Mesquite, Texas, it’s against the law for children to have unusual haircuts. That’s
beauty. I guess I wouldn’t make it in Mesquite.
And listen to this one. I just found this out. While riding an elevator in New York, my
city, you must talk to no one, keep your hands folded, and face the elevator doors. Can
you believe it? I’m the biggest developer in the city and I’ve never even heard about that.
But, come to think about it, that one may just be a good idea.

 Americans Work Hard
It turns out that Americans take the shortest vacations in the world and I think that’s
terrific. When you compare the hours worked and vacation time, Americans work up to
three months a year more than Europeans and, on average, get four weeks less vacation
than they do in Europe.
Some people argue that Americans need to slow down, that we need to take more
vacations and more time off and stop working 60 and 80-hour weeks. I totally disagree. If
you love what you’re doing and if you want to get ahead, just keep doing it.
There’s nothing worse to me than going on a vacation, sitting around doing nothing,
going crazy and wanting to get back to he office or whatever you happen to be doing.
Furthermore, I think the American work ethic is commendable and maybe it’s why we’re
the greatest nation on Earth.
Americans don’t need to slow down. They should keep going and maybe even go faster.
What’s wrong with that – as long as you love it?

 Most Honest Professions
Americans think that nurses are the most honest people around according to a recent
Gallup survey of nearly two dozen professions. Way down on the list were Congressmen,
lawyers and people who work in advertising.
Over the course of my life I’ve been very lucky not to need nurses. But I can see how
they’re respected, what they go through, what they see, what they witness, how they have
to study to attain their profession and really work hard. They are really an amazing lot.
When my mother was sick, she had a nurse who was like a saint. She worked so hard.
She really cared. It wasn’t about money. It was that she wanted to do her job. There are
many nurses like this and I have great respect and admiration for them.
However, if I hadn’t followed in my father’s footsteps, I couldn’t have been a nurse or a
doctor because that stuff just isn’t for me. When I see blood, forget it.

 Marriage Makes Us Happy
A recent study found that wedded bliss keeps you healthy. Married people are less likely
to smoke or drink heavily. They have fewer headaches and less psychological stress than
single people. Well, I have a lot of divorced friends that don’t agree, but that’s ok.
Now, I have to admit that marriage does have some stresses. There are usually some
disagreements over money or how you’re going to discipline the children or if you’re
even going to have children at all. But it’s really minor stuff, relatively minor compared
to being lonely, being hungry, not feeling good or not having anybody to take care of you
– all of the problems of not being married and of not having anybody.
According to the poll, there’s really only one drawback to married life. Husbands have a
tendency to pack on some extra pounds. I guess that’s yet another reason why prenuptial
agreements are a great idea.

 Realize Your Dreams
I have to admit. I was born into very fortunate circumstances. My parents had a very
good income but they made me work for money and they taught me a healthy respect for
the value of money. Likewise, I made my children earn their money and work for what
they wanted. Sometimes, it takes awhile to realize your dreams. You have to do whatever
jobs you can until you have the resources to pursue your real goal.
Brad Pitt, for example, used to dress up like a chicken in order to promote a fast food
restaurant. Willie Brown, the former mayor of San Francisco, shined shoes in high school
and worked as a janitor in college while he was trying to pay his bills.
So the next time you’re frustrated with your job, take a look at all of the people I
mentioned and many, many, many more and realize they worked hard, they set their
goals. You too can become successful. Work hard. Think correctly. You’re going to make
it.

 Cell Phones on Airplanes
I read about this months ago and hoped it would never happen. But it looks like a terrible
nightmare that will come true.
Some people may be allowed to use their cell phones on airplanes. I get very irritated by
people who constantly talk on their cell phones, holding loud conversations in public
places where the rest of us are forced to be unwilling eavesdroppers.
The FCC is soliciting public opinion on whether to allow cell phone use on flights. So
far, it seems like the good guys are the most vocal. Most people responding want the
friendly skies to stay cell phone-free. But this battle is just beginning. It will be at least
two years before the decision is made as the FCC weighs the pros and cons and all the
technical ramifications, of which there are many.
Sometimes I’m glad I get to fly on a private jet a lot.

 Great Discoveries
Sometimes, the most brilliant discoveries are made by everyday people with good ideas.
Listen to this one. John Kanzius, a former radio executive from Pennsylvania, was
undergoing chemotherapy while fighting leukemia, when he noticed how terrible the
treatment side effects were. He came up with the idea of zapping tumors using radio
waves and managed to fashion a prototype device out of an aluminum pie pan and a
fluorescent light.
It may sound crazy but this invention is now being billed as a potential breakthrough
aimed at treating cancer without the harmful side effects. It is generating big-time interest
from the medical community and is now in the animal-testing phase. Pretty impressive
for a man who holds neither a college nor a medical degree.
It’s amazing what the average person can accomplish. In fact, if you look back over time,
I guarantee you the best ideas were brought about by very average people.

 Randy Moss
The second round of the NFL playoffs starts this weekend. I wonder if people are more
likely to tune in to see the game action or to see whether or not Randy Moss might do the
same thing he did last week.
If you missed it, Randy – a Minnesota Vikings wide receiver and a very good one –
celebrated a touchdown in the end zone by pretending to drop his pants and moon the
crowd. It wasn’t too classy but a lot of people took greater offense than I did. After the
game, Moss said he was just having fun. He even claimed his teammates loved what he
did.
Like it or not, when somebody’s a great player they get away with a lot of different
things. If Randy Moss wasn’t a great wide receiver and didn’t have an unbelievable
game, which he had, just ask the Green Bay Players, he wouldn’t be able to get away
with it.
I’ve often said that the greatest healer of all is winning and you could do things that you
could never get away with if you win.

 Brad Pitt & Jennifer Aniston
The talk of the entertainment tabloids this week is the breakup of Brad Pitt and Jennifer
Aniston.
There are plenty of rumors about why they split. Maybe Jennifer was jealous that Brad
got too friendly with his costar, Angelina Jolie. Now I never really understood that one
because I watched Angelina Jolie with Billy Bob Thornton and she was all over the guy.
After you watch that, I mean, do people really dig her?
In any event, Brad and Jennifer have asked for “kindness and sensitivity” during the
coming months. Unfortunately, I know the media. I know the press. And it’s highly
unlikely that they’ll get it. But we have to leave a little room for compassion and privacy
when these high-profile unions just don’t work out.
Jen and Brad, I wish you both well. And I really hope you have a very good prenuptial
agreement.

 Tsunami Travel
In the wake of the earthquake and tsunami tragedy, people are wondering whether they
should travel to various parts of Asia that were so horribly hit by the disaster.
Many people say that it’s a terrible idea for tourists to go to those devastated countries
right now. They feel that those who go there would be gawkers who want to see the
destruction, people hoping to get good rates by taking advantage of the situation, etc.
Besides, some argue, vacationers should steer clear of those hard-hit areas out of respect
for the victims.
However, places like Thailand and Sri Lanka depend on tourism to keep their economies
healthy. If tourists stay away, what happens to the people who depend on income from
tourism to feed their families and to run their businesses?
All of my life I’ve heard that the tsunami is a far worse disaster than tornadoes,
hurricanes or anything else. After witnessing what we witnessed over the last few weeks,
there’s no doubt about it. The tsunami is truly the worst of all tragedies.

 Apprentice Preview
The third season of The Apprentice debuts this Thursday and it’s really going to be an
exciting one. This time around we’re pitting book smarts against street smarts with 18
new contestants and some of them really have personalities. Nine of the contestants are
highly educated college grads; nine became successful without a diploma.
Among the new crew is a nationally ranked skier, a marketing executive who writes and
performs rock operas, and a real estate wiz who is a magician in his spare time. The
teams – named Magna and Networth – will tackle tasks from giants such as Burger King,
Home Depot, Domino's and Nescafé.
I’ve always been a person who believes strongly in education. But I admit that hands-on
experience can sometimes be just as important. What’s more important? Book smarts or
street smarts? We’re going to soon be finding out and you’re going to be very surprised at
the result.

 Bargaining
I don’t know anyone who would walk into a car dealership and pay sticker price for a
new car. Likewise, who do you know who would pay the asking price for a house?
Here’s a bit of smart business advice: Learn how to bargain. There’s no reason you
shouldn’t work hard at getting the best deal.
Also, you have to know the value of what you are buying. Shop around, ask questions,
never, ever accept a first offer and always ask for a better price. You’d be surprised to
know how much room banks and businesses have in order to make a deal.
If you receive a better deal from one place, always check with another place to see if they
can match it. If each place is peddling the same product, it really doesn’t matter where it’s
coming from. Nobody’s going to know the difference except you.
And don’t be afraid to walk away. Walking away is the greatest negotiation of all. They’ll
almost always call you back.

 Apprentice Tonight
Have you missed me? I’m back in the boardroom tonight for the new season of The
Apprentice and it’s really going to be great. I’m sure you’ve heard all the hype. But this
time around it’s book smarts versus street smarts.
The teams’ first task tonight will be to operate a Burger King franchise and launch a new
hamburger. This doesn’t sound too complicated but actually it’s quite exciting and very
multi-dimensional.
This task will actually test the contestants’ business skills on many levels. They’ll
demonstrate their creativity on how they decide to introduce and sell the new burger and
how they’ll bring in people to try it out. But the teams will also show how good they are
at handling details without letting important skills slip between the cracks.
So I’ll see you tonight at 8:30 on NBC. Find out who will be the first one to hear those
rather dreaded words…“You’re fired!”

 Apprentice Recap
Thursday night we opened Season Three of The Apprentice with a really diverse group of
people. As everybody by now knows, it was book smarts versus street smarts.
We have a group of highly educated people from the finest colleges competing against a
group of people who didn’t have a big education, some just barely through high school,
but all have gone out and made a lot of money and become very successful. It’s really a
classic battle and people seemed to have liked it a lot.
Thursday night, the task involved Burger King and marketing one of its hamburgers. It
was interesting from the beginning. John led Net Worth and really took charge. Right
from the beginning, he was the boss. He’s doing very well. On the losing side, however,
you had Todd who was really not leading. He just couldn’t seem to get a grip on it. In the
end, I just said, “Todd, you just aren’t cutting it. You’re not leading them. You’re fired.”
Based on Thursday night’s episode, this is going to be a very interesting series. Actually,
Season Three has the best boardroom scenes of all.

 Harvard President
The President of Harvard University recently got himself into a big mess. Speaking at a
conference, Lawrence Summers said that women just don’t have the natural ability that
would let them succeed in science and math careers as well as men.
Well, I’ve never really heard that one before. But maybe as a man, I’m not so unhappy to
hear it, because women have a lot of other abilities, that I can tell you.
The controversial president also said one reason for the shortage of women in senior job
positions is because they don’t want to work long hours because of their parenting
responsibilities. Well, I have a lot of women who work for me and they work long hours.
Sure, I think it’s sometimes harder for some women because they have to juggle taking
care of their families with their careers. I don’t envy that. I don’t envy them. But that
doesn’t mean they don’t work just as hard or show just as much skill.

 Dan Rather’s Replacement
Dan Rather can’t leave the anchor desk too soon as far as I’m concerned. But now he’s
finally going and there’s a lot of speculation as to who should sit in his chair at CBS.
Some of the names being kicked around as his “Evening News” replacement include
Katie Couric, who is terrific, and Ted Koppel whose contract with ABC and “Nightline”
ends this year. And, by the way, I don’t think there’s any great love lost between those
two. CNN’s Anderson Cooper is also rumored to be in the running. And frankly, a lot of
people are mentioning John Stewart. Now John’s a comedian, but you know what?
What’s the difference between that and Dan?
The reason I have so much venom for Dan is that he put me on “60 Minutes.” He was the
primary correspondent and it was a disaster. It was one of the worst misrepresentations
I’ve seen. I’ve never understood how CBS kept him, to be honest.
I know one thing. When my ratings go down the tubes, they’re going to say, “Donald,
you’re fired.”

 Investment Advice
Everyone wants investment advice. They want to know where to put their money, how to
make a big profit.
It really gets to be a pretty tough subject. Many Wall Street gurus make you dizzy with
talk of intricate financial maneuvers. They’re always trying to impress you with their
computerized trading results with their fifty percent returns that, in many cases, don’t
even exist.
But as far as I’m concerned, those people would be just as successful if they ditch their
hedge funds with all the big fees that you have to pay, and just put their money on some
sound, basic stocks that you really understand. People that understand products know if
it’s good and if it’s bad. For instance, I’m not a big computer maven. I wouldn’t do well
investing in computers. I just don’t get it.
And also remember, go to a strong bank, get your interest rate. Sometimes the best
investments are the ones that you never make.

 More Humane Chicken Sandwich
Sadly, no matter how you slice it, there’s no way to make a chicken sandwich without
first killing the chicken. But at least one fast food chain is considering a more humane
way of slaughtering the poultry that they use for their various sandwiches and nuggets.
The new method, being considered by McDonald’s, would simply replace the oxygen in
the chickens’ air with an inert gas such as nitrogen. That way, the chickens would
peacefully pass out before going to the great big broiler in the sky. Well, I don’t know if
it’s so peaceful. You’ll have to ask them.
It certainly, however, beats the current method that most processors are using where
chickens are stunned with an electrical charge before having their throats slit. It actually
sounds like something right out of the Godfather movies.
But, you know? After reviewing this whole subject matter, I don’t think I’ll ever have a
chicken sandwich again.

 Apprentice Recap
Prior to its airing, many people thought Thursday’s night version of The Apprentice was
the best yet. They thought it was better than anything in Season One, Two or so far in
Season Three.
I disagreed. I liked it. I thought it was good. But I thought it was relatively average
compared to some of our episodes. One of the reasons I felt this way is that the suspense
in this session wasn’t the same as others.
Namely, Brian had to go. He was the leader of Net Worth. It was obvious from the
beginning that his teammates just wouldn’t listen to him. He’s sort of a tough guy,
abrasive as can be. In certain ways I think he’s going to be a big success into the feature.
But for right now, it just didn’t happen.
Magna and Net Worth, the two teams, had an assignment. It was to renovate hotels along
the Jersey shore. Magna did a pretty good job. Net Worth didn’t. They all blamed Brian.
But more importantly, when Brian walked into the boardroom he said he should be fired.
It never happened to me before. When the first sentence out of my mouth was, “What do
you think? Should you be fired?” He looked at me and said yes. I almost had no
boardroom left.
This could’ve been the shortest boardroom on record. But I decided to go into some of
the other candidates and why it didn’t work. Still, when it was all said and done, I came
right back to Brian, looked at him and said, “Brian, you’re fired.”

 Thursday night on The Apprentice, something very unusual happened. Both teams failed.
I brought both teams back to the boardroom. Never before has that happened.
A commercial was made for Dove. Dove is a wonderful product. But I witnessed the
commercials firsthand and I sure wouldn’t want to buy the product. In fact, it began to
make me a little bit nervous. How competent are these people? They were taken out of
over a million people yet both teams failed to make a great commercial. Donny Deutsch,
the wonderful ad executive, couldn’t believe his eyes.
After I brought both teams back into the boardroom, I went to work on Kristen and Erin.
They were both the team leaders and I wanted to see who held up better. Well, Erin held
her team together. The commercial was bad, but she held her team together.
Kristen, on the other hand, nobody liked her, nobody wanted to take orders from her. She
wasn’t a leader. I looked at her. I said, “Kristen, you’re fired.” It was a great evening even
though they did a bad job. It was an exciting episode of The Apprentice.

 There’s a new book out that’s getting a lot of attention and the whole premise is about
trusting your gut which is something I’ve been doing for a long time and preaching about
it for years.
In the first few seconds when you meet someone you have an instant feeling about
whether you like that person or not. Likewise, in the first few seconds of a book or a
contract you have an immediate reaction about whether or not you’re going to like what
you’re reading. A lot of times, however, we go back and change our minds. Either we
read further or we talk longer or our original impression goes away.
But learn to trust your intuition. Put trust in those instincts and you may be surprised at
your success. You may be surprised, actually, you’re doing a lot better listening to your
own instincts than what other people are telling you. In some situations, I’ll ask several
people I trust about their opinions before I make a decision.
But when I’m ready to make up my mind, I always go with my gut. Generally speaking,
I’m better off doing it that way.

 I like good magazine and, of course, I’m quite partial to Trump World, my new magazine.
But I’m disgusted by a new periodical that celebrates drinking. Called Modern Drunkard,
this magazine is a tribute to alcoholism and to the drunken lifestyle. The editor claims
that drunks are an oppressed minority and insists that some of the world’s most
accomplished people have been big drinkers. Well, that’s been their problem.
I don’t mean to sound prudish or like a wise guy, but I totally disagree. I’m the biggest
developer in New York City and I don’t drink at all. I never have and I never will. I’ve
seen some truly tremendous and respected people be carried out on their backs from a
ballroom because they were drunk at a big party. And you know what? I never felt the
same about those people.
Find something better to do with your time. Drinking is no good. Alcohol is bad news.
This may sound like an odd piece of business advice coming from me, but sometimes you
need to keep your talents to yourself.

 Whether in the boardroom or a bargaining table, it’s often to your advantage to be
underestimated. You never want people to think you’re a loser, of course. But it’s not a
great idea if they think that you’re the smartest guy in the room, the smartest guy in the
planet. They’re afraid of you. They have their guard up. They want to protect against you
and they make it impossible for you to do what you have to do or to make the deal.
Because I wrote “The Art of the Deal,” people are always on guard when they still down
to negotiate with me. That turns out to be a huge liability as far as I’m concerned. And it
becomes very much harder to negotiate.
You may not have that problem quite yet, so learn how to keep your talents under wraps.
Often times it’s necessary to boast, but I’ll tell you what. It’s even better when other
people do the boasting for you.

 Thursday night’s version of The Apprentice was a very interesting one. It pitted the two
teams, Magna and Net Worth, in a battle to create a marketing campaign for a wonderful
coffee called Nescafé. It also featured a pretty shocking element with two contestants
rather than one, leaving the show.
Verna, a Magna team member who had a hard time last week, walked off the show,
actually quitting on me. She said that she was unable to control her nerves. She had a
nervous problem. So now I had a decision whether or not I even fire someone. I had
somebody quit. That means that there’s an opening. I actually thought that I’d give a pass
this week, go through the motions but not fire anybody. But I decided instead to fire
Danny.
Danny just didn’t have it. He was a very soft leader and he relied too much on the
opinions of the team. Danny’s also a great musician. I told Danny, “You know what,
Danny? Forget about business. Go into music. I think you’ll be better at it.” He really
does have musical talent.
And just one more thing. If you want to be famous, if you want to be a star, come down
today (Friday) to 40 Wall Street right opposite the New York Stock Exchange. We’re
having tryouts for the next Apprentice. If you don’t happen to live in this area, we have
tryouts at 21 different cities. Be there. Become really famous. I’m having a lot of fun with
it. The Apprentice is special. So are you.

 Many people over the years have asked me, “How do you negotiate?” Well, it sounds like
a simple question but one of the things I tell them is that when you’re getting ready to
negotiate – whether it’s to buy a high rise in New York City or a new car -- be sure you
know exactly what you want.
Before you begin any negotiation, write down your objective. Then try to anticipate what
the other side might want. Find a way of talking about the deal that will keep either of
you from getting locked into an impossible position where nobody can win. And
definitely don’t lock yourself in. Flexibility is a great thing.
Sometimes while you’re in the midst of making a deal, we find out that what we think we
want to make, we can actually do better. So never play your cards too early.
The bottom line is to know what you want but to keep it to yourself until a strategically
necessary moment. It’s the best way to get what you want at the price you want to pay…
and maybe even less than that.

 The circus has begun as Michael Jackson’s trial has opened. With months of testimony to
go, the question is how big will this trial be? More than 1,000 media outlets worldwide
are covering the trial. Entertainment Tonight, a really great show, for example, has nearly
three dozen staffers assigned to the story.
But the topic is very distasteful. How many people want to hear about child molestation
charges?
And, by the way, I’m not so sure about it. I happen to think Michael is innocent. I’d like
people to look into the mother of this child. I recently watched the Today show and I was
amazed when I looked into the background of Mommy. Mommy wasn’t so nice,
according to the people that she sued.
For his part, Michael issued a statement predicting that he’ll be acquitted. Well, I hope
he’s found innocent. But I wonder, with the big circus out there, will he really get a fair
trial?

 Major League Baseball recently unveiled a new, stricter drug policy in response to all of
the steroid allegations involving players like Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi. Now, I’m a
big Barry fan, but you know what? I watched him hit more and more homeruns and
ultimately, he was hitting them out of the park better than any 25-year-old in baseball.
Some people think the new policy is huge and will do a lot to stop players from playing
under the influence of steroids and human growth hormones. Critics say baseball policy’s
is still nowhere near as strict as other sports like the NFL where players are suspended a
quarter of a season for their first drug offense.
Still, it’s better than what was taking place in the past. At least this is a good step toward
making players rely on pure talent, not drugs.

 Recently on The Apprentice, you saw Brian get fired when his team lost the task to
refurbish a motel along the Jersey Shore.
Brian’s team, Net Worth, lost for a number of reasons. One primary reason was that Brian
didn’t create a budget or a timeline. When you take on a project – whether building
something from the ground up or just tackling a project at work, be sure you know what
you’re willing to spend. Then make sure you have a timeline for what you want to
accomplish.
It sounds simplistic but actually it’s pretty complicated stuff. When you run behind that
adds money to your overall cost.
I never start a project without first creating a budget and then an overall schedule of what
needs to be accomplished and when. I always make sure to build in some room for delays
and even price changes but at least I know where I’m headed.
Brian, on the other hand, heard the words “You’re fired” because he didn’t have a clue.

 On Wednesday, March 9, Dan Rather leaves his long-time post in the anchor chair at CBS
News. A few people may not love the idea that Dan’s leaving. I say good riddance.
Somehow Dan has managed to survive even though he’s been in last place in the evening
news ratings for years. Quite some time ago, Dan Rather did a piece on me for “60
Minutes” which I didn’t like at all. In my opinion it has the same kind of integrity that the
piece on George Bush had and that was none.
So I just question, how has this guy remained on the air all these years? I don’t watch
Dan because frankly he makes me uncomfortable. I don’t feel confident in what he’s
saying. And you know what? That’s not Walter Cronkite. That’s not Edward R. Murrow,
the great legacy that CBS News had and quite possibly will have again.
Les Moonves is a tremendous leader. I’m sure he’ll make the right choice. But as far as
Dan Rather, he can’t get out fast enough.

 If it were up to a man named Stanton Glantz, any movie that showed somebody smoking
would get an “R” rating.
Glantz is director of the University of California’s Center for Tobacco Control Research.
He says that smoking in the movies is one of the main reasons teenagers start smoking in
real life. And you know what? I tend to believe that.
So Glantz has been lobbying the Motion Picture Association of America to consider
smoking as it does drinking or profanity when assigning a movie’s rating. We know that
plenty of young kids are going to sneak into “R” movies. They’ve always done it. They
always will. But at least this could stop some of them from smoking.
I recently lost a friend to smoking. He smoked all his life. He loved smoking. He was
addicted to smoking. He died of emphysema. It was terrible.
Let’s stop the smoking. Let’s not show smoking in movies. And if they do, let’s not let the
kids see it.

 To succeed in business, it’s no secret that you have to take risks. If you play it very safe,
you’ll never bring in the huge profits and make the most exciting deals.
Most people think I’m a gambler. And, I guess, in a way I am. But I like to consider
myself a speculator. That’s a gambler that really sort of watches the odds. I don’t really
think I’ve ever gambled in my whole life.
You’ve got to realize that if you go for a home run on every pitch, you’re also going to
strike out sometimes. I try never to leave myself too exposed, even if it means sometimes
settling for a triple, or a double or even a nice comfortable single. I never ever want to
strike out, but no matter how good you are, sometimes that just happens.
But learn from that strikeout. Sometimes your greatest successes come from failures. So
don’t look at a failure as a loss. Look at a failure as a lesson. Learn from it. And the next
time step up to the plate and hit a home run.

 People often ask me what it takes to be a good leader. A leader has to think
independently. At the Trump Organization, I listen to people, but my vision is my vision.
I’ve rarely seen a leader who can lead by consensus. It’s okay to occasionally ask your
employees for their opinions but when it comes to making a decision, a good leader
doesn’t take a vote. A good leader makes a decision then expects people to abide by it and
follow him or her.
On an episode this season of The Apprentice, I fired Danny, a well-liked marketing pro.
When it was time for him to make decisions, he kept asking his team “What do you
think? What do you think? How do I do it?”
Running a business is like being a general. Calling the shots carries a great deal of
responsibility, not only for yourself, but for your troops. If you’re too busy asking your
employees for their opinions, you’ll never make decisions and you’ll never accomplish
anything. And guess what? You won’t be in your job for long. Just ask Danny.

 When you have a great product and want to tell the word about it, it’s important how you
get the message out.
I’m fortunate that I really don’t have to advertise that much. If something has the Trump
name on it, automatically it gets publicity – sometimes good, sometimes bad.
But I read about a more unconventional way to advertise that has me baffled. A Long
Island man is selling advertisers the right to permanently tattoo their message on his
body. So far, five advertisers have purchased spots on his forearms, each paying only
several hundred dollars for a spot on this human billboard.
Maybe this guy came up with a pretty unique idea. I wouldn’t do it, but maybe it’s not so
bad. The people that bought their ads so far have certainly gotten their money’s worth. By
the time this guy finishes with all the tattoos, he’ll be a total mess. But you know what?
He’ll have some money in his pocket.

 Thursday night on “The Apprentice” I saw something that was very, very stupid. A young
real estate developer from Boston named Michael, who openly bragged that he was a
mini Trump, which is okay with me, did something that he just shouldn’t have done.
When I started going after one of the other contestants – namely, Stephanie – he kept
butting in for whatever reason, I don’t know.
She was pretty close to going but he just wouldn’t stop. Stephanie was very negative for
her team. But, you know, it just didn’t matter. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing in the
boardroom. Even Bren was attacking Stephanie when Michael kept cutting him off.
Finally, I looked at Michael. I said, “Michael, what are you doing? I’m after Stephanie.
I’m not after you. You keep stopping me from firing Stephanie. Michael, you’re fired.”
It was an interesting evening. It was good drama but it was real life. It is, after all, called
reality TV.

 Spring Training is here. Pitchers and catchers have reported to camp and the baseball
season is right around the corner. But the year starts in a cloud of suspicion as Jose
Canseco has released a book where he outs more than a dozen of baseball biggest stars
for steroid use.
In his book, Canseco wrote that he and Mark McGwire shot up steroids together, quote
"more times than I can count.” Yet, on "60 Minutes'' when the great Mike Wallace asked
him a question, he looked almost stymied. You know I’m pretty good at judging people
and when I looked in his eyes, I saw a man that was not telling the truth.
I think Mark McGwire may have used steroids but I don’t believe Canseco was poking
him in the rear every night before a game. So, I say, which is it? Was he lying in the book
or was he lying in the “60 Minutes” interview. There’s plenty of steroid use going on in
baseball. But I don’t believe Jose Canseco.

 For the first time ever on The Apprentice, a candidate quit the show. Verna, a business
manager from Seattle, just couldn’t take the pressure.
I’m really not that surprised that it happened though. In fact, I’m more surprised that it
hasn’t happened to someone before now. The Apprentice candidates really work hard. For
sixteen weeks they live in hell, even though it happens to be at Trump Tower.
That’s why I think this is such a good way to hire someone. I get to see how tough the
candidates are and how they’ll handle the stress and the demands that are put on them.
When the going gets tough, I expect my people to keep right on track and going, going,
going. I expect them to figure out ways to surmount their problems no matter how
difficult things may become.
After quitting, Verna told Matt Lauer on the Today show that there was too much
backstabbing and bickering going on, so that was part of the reason she left. But you
know what? I’d like to see the workplace where that doesn’t happen.

 The Academy Awards are coming up Sunday. One picture is generating a lot of buzz -“The Aviator” -- which is up for an impressive eleven awards. Leonardo DiCaprio stars as
Howard Hughes. Australian actress Cate Blanchett portrays the incredible Katharine
Hepburn.
Katharine Hepburn is considered by me and many others to be one of the greatest
actresses of all time. Now I think Cate Blanchett is perfectly lovely and a great actress.
But I didn’t like her performance as Katharine Hepburn.
She didn’t capture it at all. She doesn’t look anything like Katharine. She doesn’t have
the elegance or the style. But she’s got her own style, which is lovely.
Katharine Hepburn was such an amazing beauty. It’s hard to believe they chose Cate
Blanchett to play the role. But even harder to believe that she’s up for an Academy
Award.
This is sort of like casting Donald Trump as Clark Cable. In all fairness, it just wouldn’t
work.

 The French Parliament is voting on allowing employees in France to work longer hours.
Right now in France employees are allowed to work only 35 hours a week. Can you
believe it?
The short week was put into effect by the last Socialist government under the theory that
shorter hours would create millions of new jobs. Guess what? It didn’t work.
But the French workers, for the most part, want nothing to do with the switch to longer
work weeks.
I’m glad I live in the United States. There’s no way I could be in a business environment
where people were so set on punching their time clocks for the absolute minimum
amount of time they need to be at work.
I expect my employees to work hard and to work long hours. But I do the same thing.
I don’t take many vacations. I never work a mere eight-hour day. I try to set a certain
standard. You should never expect your employees to work harder than you do. I
certainly don’t.

 Thursday night on “The Apprentice” I had to fire Tara, a wonderful woman who worked
very hard but just couldn’t plan a marketing campaign.
What was really interesting about this is how the team with “street smarts” could not win
a street project. This project was to do a graffiti ad for Playstation 2. And you can’t get
much street-ier than that.
Tara was fired because, as I said on the program, she made some really bad
miscalculations. I have great respect for the fact that she wanted to take care of the
community, but that wasn’t what this task was all about.
Alex, the project manager of book smarts, went right to the streets. He got it immediately.
He went over and got young kids from the neighborhood and asked them what they
thought. They gave him lots of good advice and he went on to win.
The boardroom was exciting, Sony Playstation was a big winner, and I look forward to
next week.

 RECAP
Thursday night on “The Apprentice,” I had to fire a beautiful woman, something I just
don’t like doing.
Audrey Evans, who is only 22 years old, somehow totally lost control of her emotions
and did an absolutely terrible job leading her team. The task was building a miniature
golf course but Audrey just didn’t have it. She had the look. Boy, did she have the look,
but she didn’t have the leadership.
Book Smarts had a clear and concise plan with Chelsea Piers. And Street Smarts? Well,
they didn’t have street smarts. They had absolutely nothing and worse, they had no
leadership.
Because Audrey’s beauty was so intense, at the end of the show the cameras got me
slumped over in a chair saying, “Well, at least I didn’t bring back the best-looking one.”
Ladies, I hope you give me some credit for that. I fired the best-looking woman ever on
“The Apprentice.” The bottom line is this is business and you can’t mess around in
business.

 APPEARANCE MATTERS
Appearance really does matter. Whether you’re in the boardroom or a party or no matter
what you’re doing, how you dress says a lot about your personality.
When people come to me for a job interview, I expect them to look the part. If they’re not
willing to wear a suit and tie, it’s probably not going to work. I’ve actually had people
come in in undershirts. They may be very talented but, you know, it doesn’t work for me.
It’s just not right.
That’s part of the reason I put my name on a line of men’s suits, exclusively available at
Macy’s. They’re called the Donald J. Trump Signature Collection and the suits are for
executives as well as men who are really looking to make a good impression in the
workplace.
If you want people to take you seriously in the workplace you have to dress the part.
Whether you choose one of my suits or whether you shop somewhere else, if you look
successful, you are going to be successful.

 ABC MOVIE
I heard that ABC is planning an unauthorized movie about me. It better be accurate or my
attorneys are standing by.
But I can’t think of a single actor today that I’d like to play the part of Donald Trump.
Who I’d really love would be Cary Grant, but you know, they don’t make them like that
anymore. Now Cary, by the way, doesn’t look anything like me. But I still wouldn’t mind
looking like him.
The truth is they just don’t make movie stars like they used to. I don’t want to get
personal. I don’t want to mention names. I don’t know most of these actors. But let’s face
it. Do we have a Clark Gable? Do we have a Cary Grant? Do we have an Audrey
Hepburn? I really don’t think so
I see people on the street all the time that I think are better looking -- far better looking –
than most of the men in Hollywood right now. Likewise I see women that blow our big
actresses away. So why aren’t they in the movies? Acting isn’t so tough. Believe me.

 IMPRESS PEOPLE
I get so many email messages and so many letters from people asking for some basic
business advice. One of the best things you can do is impress people. Impress people and
you will make money. It’s really that simple.
Here’s how to do it.
•
•
•
•
•

Be on time. You should never tolerate late arrivals or missed deadlines from
yourself or from anyone else for that matter.
Do your homework. Poor planning and thoughtlessness is inexcusable.
Be honest. Most people can smell a lie and appreciate honesty even if it’s not
exactly what they want to hear.
Let other people do some of the talking. No conversation should ever be onesided.
Be self-deprecating and disarming. Save your hardest edge for when you really
need it.

I still follow the same advice that I’ve written in my original book, “The Art of the Deal.”
After all, manners can always be improved and they can also help you make money.

 RECAP
Erin can really talk but it didn’t help her Thursday night. The Philadelphia attorney
learned that it wasn’t wise to be a wise guy. It cost her a job.
She’s beautiful and her mouth goes a mile a minute. She can really talk. But her fate was
sealed in the boardroom when she made wisecrack after wisecrack. Then, at the end, the
final one paid off.
In actuality, until Erin butted in, I was probably heading toward firing Chris. Angie was
also in trouble. In fact, all three did a really terrible job. But Chris looked like it was
about time to go when, for some reason unknown to me, Erin butted in. I had to look at
her and say, “Erin, you’re fired.”
I really enjoyed last night’s episode and I hated losing Erin. She’s beautiful. She’s smart.
But she had to go.

 HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE
There are plenty of people in the world who see the negative in every situation. Their
glass is always half-empty.
Now some people like a good friend of mine, Simon Cowell of “American Idol,” make a
lot of money by purposefully being tough, negative, whatever you want to say. But
Simon, who is a tremendous talent, does it with reason. And without him I’m sure the
ratings on “American Idol” would never be the same.
On a recent episode of “The Apprentice” this season, Michael was universally disliked by
his teammates. It wasn’t at all a difficult decision to fire him. It’s important to have a
good attitude.
If you don’t agree with an idea or an approach, make your opinion known but in a
straightforward manner. Setbacks and disappointments will always happen, but learn
from them. Expect them, but learn from them. Then just move on. Don’t dwell. You’ll do
a lot better in life with a positive attitude.

 A FEMALE PRESIDENT?
Although the next presidential election is still years away, have you given any thought to
who you’d like to see in the Oval Office? A lot of Americans have.
According to a new poll, more than 80 percent of the voters say they would vote for a
woman president in 2008. That’s a pretty impressive number. Only about 60 percent,
however, agreed that the United States is ready for a woman president in 2008.
So the next question, naturally, is which woman will make history. More than half the
voters polled think that New York Democrat, a really, really great person, Senator Hillary
Rodham Clinton, should try for the job.
A significant majority of those women polled said that a female president would be better
than a male president in handling domestic issues.
I know one thing. If I saw somebody that I liked and if she were a woman, I’d vote for
her right away.

 RESPECT AT WORK
When it comes to the work environment, apparently a lot of employees feel like Rodney
Dangerfield. They just don’t get any respect.
According to a new report, nearly 80 percent of employees feel they get no respect at all
at work. And they think the situation is only getting worse. The study, conducted by the
respected Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, found
that performance decreases and creativity suffers when there’s no courtesy and civility at
work.
But the study’s biggest surprise is that the average Fortune 1000 executive spends 13
percent of his or her time mediating work disputes. That means seven weeks each year
are spent trying to mend difference between employees. What a waste of time.
Treat people with respect and they’ll return the favor. At least, usually. You’ll also save
lots of money and time and people will know you are a good leader.

 SCHOOL JUNK FOOD
My friend, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, has taken a pretty interesting
stance on a school issue in his state.
Arnold supports legislation that would ban the sale of junk food in all of the state’s
schools. Instead of buying candy bars and potato chips in cafeteria vending machines -which by the way, I used to love and use too much -- students would instead get choices
like fruits and vegetables. Instead of soft drinks, kids would get milk. I like milk too.
Arnold hopes to develop additional legislation that would also address unhealthy snacks.
That doesn’t mean everything but tofu and carrot chips will be outlawed. He’s just trying
to find a way to deal with childhood obesity. I wish Arnold were around when I were a
kid because I was one heavy, fat kid.
I know schools really rely on the funding dollars that they get from snack food and soft
drink companies. But it shouldn’t be at the expense of children’s health.

 RECAP
Last night the music stopped for a former nightclub owner named John. He was good, he
was smart but it just didn’t work out for him. John, who’s thirty-two years old, claimed
to have a rapport with the recording artists, but really messed up when it came to
negotiation with some of these people. So last night it was the newly restructured Street
Smarts that lost out on the challenge.
The entire evening centered around Fuse Music Channel. The channel that I predict will
be serious competition someday soon for MTV. The people at Fuse are smart,
enthusiastic, and they’ve built up a winner. Maybe more importantly, they got
themselves on the Apprentice, and you know what that means, that means success.
Gafford was the ninth contestant to be fired so far, but you know what, he won’t be the
last.

 BASEBALL AND STEROIDS
Opening Day is right around the corner. Unfortunately this year there's a negative buzz
thanks to accusations that so many ballplayers are, well, on steroids.
But don't look for Major League Baseball to rush the record books to the printer for
changes any time soon.
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who is doing a terrific job under very, very difficult
circumstances, said that no records will be taken away from players who are suspected of
drug use. Commissioner Selig said that changes to the record books would be unfair to
those players because no one knows for sure whether or not they used steroids.
Our country's legal system is based on the principle that people are presumed innocent
until proven guilty, so baseball has to take the same stance.
With Jose Canseco as the most outspoken accuser, I'd say the players don't have much to
worry about any time soon.

 DELEGATE
A good leader knows how to delegate. Often, however, it’s a difficult task. That’s because
many people believe, including me, that if you want to get it done right, you have to do it
yourself.
However, a leader can’t do everything. That’s why you have people working for you. You
hire the best people for the job and then you let them do their thing. Watch them closely,
but let them do their thing.
But there are many leaders who can take delegation to an extreme. On a recent episode of
“The Apprentice,” the lovely Audrey delegated nearly every task. When her team
members would ask what she wanted them to do, she would say, “That’s your job. You
should know,” and avoid making a decision.
Audrey’s team lost the task and because of her poor leadership skills and despite her great
beauty, I said, “Audrey, you’re fired.”
A good leader walks a fine line. Learn how to delegate but don’t do it to a fault.

 LIQUOR COMMERCIALS ON TV
After forbidding them for years, CNN has become the first national cable TV news
network to air commercials for hard alcohol, specifically vodka.
Although the big national broadcast networks – NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX – still refuse
to air commercials for hard alcohol, several cable channels run them. The entire reason
these commercials have been nixed in the past is that television is a powerful vehicle that
obviously attracts an impressionable young audience.
When commercials for whiskey and vodka and gin air, that exposes young children and
teenagers to what they think is a glamorous product. Believe me, it’s not glamorous.
CNN and CNN Headline News are imposing strict rules on hard alcohol commercials.
But I’d hardly call their actions responsible. Obviously, cable’s going to make a lot of
money making alcohol commercials. But should they be doing them? I don’t think so.

 ROBERT BLAKE’S TRIAL
I have to admit I’m fairly surprised that people don’t seem to care very much about
Robert Blake’s trial. It has all the elements that normally capture the public’s attention – a
celebrity and a murder – but for some reason, this one just hasn’t caught interest.
If you haven’t been paying attention, Robert Blake was accused of murdering his wife in
2001 outside his favorite restaurant in Los Angeles. He said he didn’t do it because he left
his car to pick up his gun in the restaurant, which he left behind. That is probably the
worst excuse I’ve ever heard -- maybe so bad that he’ll get off scot-free.
Now his choice of women, Bonnie Blakely, didn’t sound exactly wonderful. There were a
lot of people after her and I guess that’s what the jury is thinking about. But I hope he’s
found innocent. She was bad news and anybody who uses the excuse that they left their
gun in the restaurant and therefore wasn’t in the car when she was shot, can’t be all bad.

 ADULTERY IN THE OFFICE
These days it seems as if executives are being held accountable not just for how they run
their business but also for what happens in their personal lives.
As you may know, Boeing chief executive officer Harry Stonecipher was asked to resign
after having an extra-marital affair with a female executive who was a lot younger and
fairly attractive. It’s highly unusual that someone in his position would get fired for an
affair, especially when it was consensual. No one was coerced, no one got a better job,
more money, or any of that stuff.
The ones who really should have the big say in the matter are the spouses who have been
hurt. They can kick their better halves out of the bedroom or out of their lives – like
Stonecipher’s wife did – but I’m not really sure whether or not they really should be
kicked out of the boardroom.
Because, you know what? If you really did a poll, I would bet you most of the powerful
men running companies are having affairs.

 BOB SLATER’S BOOK
I’ve had books written about me and it’s generally not been a good experience for me at
all.
A year ago I began to hear that a man named Bob Slater was planning to write a book
about me. I had no idea who he was. I decided to check him out with Jack Welch and he
told me that Slater was a great writer, a fair guy and you’ll be very, very interested in
what he has to say about you. Jack told me I’d be smart to cooperate with him. So I did.
And today Slater’s Book, “No Such thing as Overexposure: Inside the Life and Celebrity
of Donald Trump” is hitting the book stores. I couldn’t tell Bob Slater what to write about
me and he did his own independent work. He certainly came to his own conclusions.
But I’ve just read it cover to cover and guess what? It’s really a fair representation of
Donald Trump. I can’t believe it. Anyway, I hope you go out and buy the book. Jack
Welch was right. Bob Slater’s a helluva writer.

 MICHAEL JACKSON’S TRIAL
Like most people, I’ve been following the events of Michael Jackson’s trial. As I’ve
mentioned before, I know Michael and I hope he’s found innocent.
There seems to be no revelation that the accuser’s mother is bad news. She once brought
a multi-million dollar lawsuit against a department store that was settled out of court. The
case was shattered by allegations that she may have lied under oath and coached her son
as to what to say in court.
But I have to admit that Michael isn’t exactly helping himself. I can’t think members of
the jury were too impressed the day that Michael showed up late for trial and was actually
wearing pajamas. Pajamas are the exact thing that Michael shouldn’t be wearing to this
trial in particular.
But Michael’s eccentricities shouldn’t be the focus of the trial. Let’s hope the attorneys
continue to dig deeper and deeper into this woman’s past. I think she’s bad news.
Good luck, Michael. Keep fighting. And, by the way, you still have to clean up your act.

 BUSINESS PROPOSITIONS
The other day I received an email on TrumpOnAir.com from someone who said he had a
business proposition that seemed too good to be true. He wanted advice on how to
proceed.
Here’s my advice: If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. The rule is, weed out a lot
of the so-called opportunities immediately because there’s so much nonsense going on
and usually it’s been done many times before.
Not to be a pessimist, but the world is filled with scoundrels looking to make a dishonest
buck. Believe me, I’ve met many of them and they are bad. They’re smart. They’re
cunning. They’re very, very dishonest. You don’t want to deal with them. You want to
avoid them.
But if you meet them, you want to beat them. You want to beat them to the ground. And
when it comes to your money, you have to protect it from them. If you’re smart and
cautious, you won’t be swindled as so many people are.

 TRUMP ON BROADWAY
Recently, a lot of people have been asking whether or not it’s true that I’ll be on
Broadway. Well, the answer is yes…and no.
A great friend of mine named Marty Richards, who also happens to be a producer (he did
the movie, “Chicago”) has asked me about taking over a role in the Tony award-winning
“La Cage.” I’ve also been asked by producers to take “The Apprentice” to Broadway. As
far as a Broadway Apprentice goes, I think it’s a wonderful idea. Mark Burnett and I have
been talking about it for a long time. Everybody wants to do it and why wouldn’t a
Broadway show called “The Apprentice” do well? I think it would do great, especially if I
didn’t star in this one.
But as to me hitting in the stage in a Broadway show and actually doing the acting, like in
“La Cage,” I just can’t picture myself going to a theater after a heavy day of work and
acting on stage. I’m up at 5 o’clock in the morning building buildings. It doesn’t work.

 SEXIEST WOMEN
Now here’s a topic I certainly know a lot about…sexy women. They’ve caused me a lot
of trouble.
Angelina Jolie was just named the sexiest woman in the world. This was from the readers
of FHM, a men’s magazine. Angelina took over the crown from Britney Spears who
didn’t even make the sexy list this year. She has gone down, there’s no question about it.
That’s what a marriage can do for you.
In the rest of the Top Five…Jennifer Garner was Number 2, followed by Paris Hilton,
Charlize Theron and Halle Berry. The biggest comeback belongs to Teri Hatcher who
hasn’t been on the list since 2001 when she was in 55th place. Now Teri’s Number 7.
Look, I don’t agree very much with the magazine’s picks. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s
feelings but they made some glaring mistakes. And there are a lot of women that are far
more beautiful than some of the women who are mentioned on the list.

 MICHAEL JACKSON
I’ve been talking a lot about the Michael Jackson trial. It’s no secret how I feel about the
accuser’s mother. She’s bad news.
When this trial ends, I certainly hope Michael is found innocent because if and when that
happens, I have a proposition for him. I’d like to put Michael back into a positive
spotlight. Let him show the real reason so many fans love him. Get him back on the
stage. Really, that’s the place he’s most comfortable.
Specifically, I’m building a new hotel in Las Vegas. It would be great to have Michael
involved. But whether it’s for me or for someone else, can you imagine Michael
performing? It would be unbelievable. Whether he was still good or not – and at one
point he was the greatest -- it would be incredible entertainment.
People would go just to see what was going to happen. Would he show up with pajamas?
Would he show up wearing maybe nothing one night? Michael Jackson would make it
exciting.

 LYING ABOUT MONEY
So here’s a question. Have you ever lied about money? Even if it’s just a little white lie?
Maybe you told your husband that those new shoes you bought were on sale and they
weren’t. Or perhaps you told your friends that you make a little more money than you
actually do. You’re not alone.
According to Money magazine, nearly three-quarters of people lie about money in big
and small ways. They hide credit card bills, exaggerate stock market success or pad
charitable deductions.
This whole thing doesn’t happen to surprise me. After all, people lie about everything so
why expect them to be honest about money. The surprising thing is that people think
money is as sensitive a topic as sex. And they say they’re more uncomfortable talking
about money then they are about politics and religion.
Well, that’s just silly. Take it from someone who talks about money all the time. It’s a lot
safer than talking about politics, religion or sex. But sex is the most fun of all.

 PRODUCTIVE AT WORK
So you think you’re being productive at work? Then you’re in the minority. A Microsoft
survey found that workers average only about three good days of work a week. U.S.
employees blame the wasted time on procrastination, bad communication and ineffective
meetings. And those are three things that can easily be avoided.
I make sure that meetings are short, sweet and productive. There’s no reason to take hours
to discuss things if you get straight to the point.
In any business, good communication is key. Many times on The Apprentice, project
managers fail because they don’t keep the lines of communication open with their
teammates.
Finally, you have to end procrastination. The reason people procrastinate is because A)
they’re not motivated or B) they’re just plain lazy. It’s a leader’s job to hire the right
people for the job. If they love their work, they’ll be motivated to succeed. If they’re lazy,
then let them be lazy on someone else’s time.

 Trump Radio Transcripts: April 2005
Recap 4/01/95
The task Thursday night on The Apprentice was for the candidates to put together and
make a beautiful and delicious pizza and sell it perhaps on the street corner.
Net Worth was the losing team and it was run by Stephanie. She was the boss. She was
the team leader. Probably one of the best scenes of the year on The Apprentice was the
fight between Alex and Chris. They really went at it and Chris is a wild man.
Despite everything that happened Thursday night, the team leader Stephanie was
nowhere to be found during this whole mess. So I looked at her and said, “Stephanie,
you’re fired.”
For the last three weeks I’ve been thinking seriously about firing Chris but he is such an
interesting guy. He’s got something going. He made a lot of money selling real estate.
He’s certainly smart. He just seems to intrigue me. But stay tuned.

 Opening Day
The first pitch has been thrown and a new baseball season is underway. Unfortunately, all
of the recent baseball news has been less about the game and more about steroids.
The congressional hearings certainly didn’t help bring the shine back to America’s
pastime. Mark McGwire tarnished his image very badly by repeatedly saying nothing. By
refusing to say anything, he appeared to say a lot. Also, I didn’t like watching him cry.
Looking at this big strong guy crying was terrible.
Others of the baseball players did okay. Primarily because they denied it. They sat there
like men. They denied it. Whether or not it’s so, I hope they were telling the truth. But at
least they didn’t sit there and cry.
Personally, I’m tired of talking about it. Baseball has a steroid problem. Everyone agrees.
Now let’s get rid of it so we can get back to the business of actually enjoying the game. I
love baseball. Let’s get going.

 Cameron Diaz
There are some celebrities who just can’t stay out of the limelight. No matter what they
say or do, the gossip columns and the TV entertainment shows always have them on.
Very often, the attention can be aggravating but I know that it’s all part of the package. I
also know that it’s important to strike while the iron is hot. If you don’t, people will
forget who you are very, very rapidly.
That’s why I just don’t get what Cameron Diaz is doing. Until recently she was
Hollywood’s hottest actress, making $20 million per movie. But she’s dropped off the
radar screen. She hasn’t done any big movies lately and the only thing that she seems to
be doing is fighting the paparazzi when she’s with her on-again, off-again boyfriend,
Justin Timberlake.
But I don’t think it’s so smart for her to keep a low profile in this business. C’mon
Cameron. Get back to work. You’re a terrific actress. We want to see your movies. And
don’t worry about the paparazzi. They’ll only make you hotter.

 TRUMP movie on ABC
As you may have heard, ABC is making an unauthorized movie about my life. I’ve
already told the network that if it’s inaccurate, I’ll sue them.
When I heard that the movie was in the works, I said that the only actor that I’d like to
play me is the great Cary Grant. But since Cary is no longer with us, that’s obviously an
impossibility. But they really could’ve gotten someone that people have heard of or at
least somebody who looks a little bit more like me.
Also the actor – Justin Louis – unfortunately, according to The New York Post -- has
starred in a bunch of bombs. But maybe this won’t be a bomb. I’ve made a lot of people
wealthy. Probably, Justin’s going to be the next one.
But if I could talk to him, and I’ll talk to him right now through this radio show, don’t let
them push you around. Trump is a winner. Don’t let them make me look like anything
else. Because if you do let them push you, I’m coming after you too.

 Erin Flirting
I have nothing against humor. I appreciate a good joke when I hear one and have been
known, on occasion, to even make jokes myself. But there’s always a time and a place for
humor. There’s always a time and a place for respect.
On a recent episode of The Apprentice, many fans were surprised when I fired Erin. She
was well-spoken, very beautiful and did an incredible job whenever she had to speak on
behalf of herself or her team.
But Erin just pushed things too far. She was always making smart alec comments and
acting like a wise guy. Erin winked at me. She bragged to the other candidates that she
knew I liked her. I have no problems with attractive women flirting with me. In fact, I
really love it. But that’s not necessarily the way to gain or give respect.
Be appropriate in the workplace. Watch how you act and what you say. What you think is
funny may be interpreted as being disrespectful or flippant by your coworkers. And
worse, by your boss.

 Recap 04/08/05
Thursday night on “The Apprentice,” there was a complete meltdown. The task was to
design wearable technology clothing for American Eagle Outfitters, a wonderful razoredge company.
Net worth lost. Alex was the project manager but I ended up firing Angie. She did
something that I just don’t like. She choked and she choked under pressure.
Alex didn’t do a very good job and Chris, as usual, seemed to be brought back into the
boardroom. He’s a character. He’s got a lot of potential. But I just don’t see him making it
much longer. They tell me he needs anger management. I have no doubt about it.
But let’s get back to Angie. I questioned her intensely. And the bottom line is she choked.
I looked at her. I said, “Angie, I don’t like chokers. You’re fired.”

 Jane Fonda
After what seems like an incredibly long absence, Jane Fonda is back in the news. She
has a new autobiography called “My Life So Far” that’s currently in the bookstores. Jane
also stars in her first movie in 15 years. It’s called “Monster-in-Law” and co-stars
Jennifer Lopez.
Jane’s been very candid about her life – both in her book and in lots of media interviews.
She says she regrets some of her anti-Vietnam activities. In her book, she also admits that
her last husband, Ted Turner, cheated on her just a month into their marriage. Well, I
know Ted too well. Ted, you’d never do a thing like that, would you?
I understand that some people might question the sincerity of her Vietnam regrets. But I
say that Jane should get credit for addressing the issues. She could’ve avoided all the
questions and never given answers.
But Jane had the guts to admit she made some mistakes. And in my book, that’s pretty
admirable.

 Too Much Reality TV
I obviously have nothing against reality TV. “The Apprentice,” of course, is about as real
as you can get in the world of business. But sometimes television takes this reality thing a
little too far. VH1 is bringing back yet another episode of “The Surreal Life.” The new
cast includes Omarosa and Jose Canseco. Now, there’s a couple for you.
One reality show follows the life of Hulk Hogan and his family. Another centers on
Danny Bonaduce, better known as Danny Partridge, and his family. Pretty soon the
entertainment industry won’t need actors anymore. They’ll just find a bunch of fairly
well-known people or some people who aren’t doing very well lately and bring some
cameramen together to shoot.
I always said I wouldn’t do a television show unless it had substance and unless the
viewers learned something while they were being entertained. Sadly, it looks like I’m in
the minority these days.

 NFL and Drugs
As if the hearings for baseball players weren’t enough, now the same congressional group
has decided to tackle the NFL. They’ve asked NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue to give
information about the NFL’s drug policy.
Now I know Commissioner Tagliabue and I think he’s done an amazing job. He’s fought
the union on this issue and I think he’s run it the tightest that it’s going to be run. The
NFL already has random drug testing in place. Many people thought they did the best job
of policing the drug problems but maybe they’ll learn something and do even better.
It’s too bad that something this negative has become such a shadow over some of our
finest athletes and our greatest sports. There are many athletes on steroids, there’s no
question about it. But let’s hope the users come clean and the young athletes never start
taking drugs or steroids.
And soon we’ll get back to the idea of winning because you’re talented, not because
you’re on drugs.

 Brad Pitt
Just awhile ago Britney Spears was taking jabs at the media, accusing them on her web
site of making up lies. Then Brad Pitt went on the defensive. He attacked Us Weekly for a
cover story that said all the rumors were true about Brad and Angelina Jolie, that they
were a couple.
Although Brad’s rep was quoted in the story denying that Brad and Angelina were an
item, Brad still felt he had to deny things himself. He went on Access Hollywood saying
the story was completely untrue and attacking the magazine. Of course, all that did was
draw more attention to the story. When celebrities humor these stories and writers by
responding to them, it almost gives them more credibility.
Brad, Britney, just don’t waste your time. It’s kinda what your mother told you about the
bullies on the playground. Ignore them and maybe they’ll go away.
Otherwise, just hit them right between the eyes.

 Recap 04/15
Thursday night on “The Apprentice,” the task was to design and sell a commemorative tshirt for the 50th anniversary of Hanes, a wonderful company that frankly makes the
absolute best t-shirts. The candidates used two established artists to design and sell them
at a boutique, Scoop. As is often the case, whoever makes the most money wins. It’s very
simple.
Thursday night’s firing of Alex was a no-brainer for me. In my opinion, he had already
decided to check out judging from his performance record. He wasn’t good. He wasn’t
strong. He wasn’t smart. Also the fact that he couldn’t remember his own performance
record was an absolute giveaway. I was wondering…is he spaced out or is he dumb? And
I know he’s not dumb.
Either way though, I didn’t want Alex around as an employee on any level, his
performance was just not with it.

 Desperate Housewives and Vanity Fair
Have you seen the cover of Vanity Fair magazine? It features the women who star in
“Desperate Housewives.” Apparently there was some real catfighting going on during the
photo shoot.
ABC passed on some rules for the photo session, namely that Teri Hatcher not be posed
in the middle of the group and that Teri not be allowed to go to wardrobe first to choose
the sexiest outfit. When the rules were broken and Teri got the best swimsuit and was
posed at the center of the divas, Marcia Cross went nuts and launched into a profanityfilled tirade.
The photos turned out beautifully but the fight became the subject of the Vanity Fair
cover story. Word leaked out all over the place and it became a very hot cover.
The desperate housewives can be bickering all they want, but the network has to be
thrilled. Whether the news is good or bad, when people are talking about it, they’re
watching it.

 Cell Phones for Kids
You know how drug dealers work. They try to get little kids to sample their products so
they can get them hooked at a young age. That’s the same way tobacco companies tried to
market to teenagers in order to get them addicted as soon as possible.
Now it’s even worse. The cell phone manufacturers created a phone targeted towards kids
as young as 8 years old. Talk about tricky. They say it’s so parents can reach their
children at all times, especially for emergencies.
I have a lot of friends that are totally addicted. They can’t walk down the street without
being on a cell phone. Do we really need to expose 8-year-olds to the same kind of thing?
At that age they really should be learning manners, how to address adults, how to say
“please” and “thank you” and do it politely. Once they get hooked on cell phones
politeness is going right out the window.
Stop these pushers before it’s too late. Keep your kids cell-phone free.

 United Nations
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the United Nations and Kofi Annan and that he
didn’t know exactly what he was doing with respect to oil for food.
I sat back recently and read some of what’s going on and then I thought back to a time
not so long ago – about two years -- when I met Secretary General Annan, after having
read they’re going to spend $1.5 billion on renovating the United Nations and I offered to
do it for $400 million.
He never even got back to me. They had no interest. They have a bunch of bureaucrats
over at the United Nations that wanted to do this job themselves, even though they don’t
know what they’re doing or, worse, perhaps they weren’t the most honest people on the
books.
So here we have it, billions of dollars missing in oil for food and Donald Trump trying to
save over $1 billion for the United Nations and they’re not interested because they want
to do it themselves. And they’re going to do a terrible job of it.

 Gary Sheffield
Not long ago, Yankees’ outfielder Gary Sheffield came really close to having a serious
scuffle with a fan.
Gary was fielding a ball along the right-field fence at Fenway Park when he got hit in the
face by a Red Sox fan. It’s unclear whether the guy was actually trying to take a swing at
Gary or whether he was just trying to grab the ball that Gary was fielding.
In any case, Gary pushed the guy and screamed at him, then actually cocked his fist,
looking like he was about to slug him. Fortunately, common sense prevailed and he
stopped before things got totally out of hand. Security showed up in seconds and escorted
the fan out of the park.
Gary Sheffield is a perfect example of an athlete showing some restraint. Most people in
his position, perhaps including me, would have tried to slug that fan. Too many times we
hear only about the brawls in the stands, but this time a guy was smart enough to use his
brain instead of his brawn. Good job, Gary.

 Recap 04/22/05
On “The Apprentice” we’re on week 13 of a 16-week job interview. Thursday night’s
session had to do with Staples and the development of a really interesting clutter removal
device.
Magna came up with what they called a desk caddy and, I’ll tell you what, it was
absolutely brilliant. Networth’s creation was called the Pat Rack but in actuality, that’s
exactly what it was.
So you only had Bren and Alex left on the losing team and it really wasn’t very much
competition. Alex wants the job badly. Bren seemed almost as though he gave up. He said
he wasn’t good at risks and frankly, he didn’t like risks.
I looked at him and said, “Hey wait a minute. We’re talking about entrepreneurs and
entrepreneurship. How can you not know anything about risk?”
He sort of agreed with me. He didn’t fight me. He was like dead, he had nothing left. He
was tired. He wanted to go home. And you know what? I sent him there. I said, “Bren,
you’re fired.”

 Good Looking People Make More $
Good-looking people usually make more money than average-looking or unattractive
people. Sad but true.
At least that’s according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. The study
found out that unattractive people make about 9 percent less an hour than their average or
attractive coworkers.
One reason for this discrepancy is that unattractive people often tend to have more selfconfidence so they have a better sense of communication and social skills. Or it could be
just old-fashioned discrimination. Bosses just prefer the pretty people.
In a related finding, the study discovered that overweight women earned a lot less than
their slim counterparts. And short men earned less money than tall men. Well, I know a
lot of heavy women that are amazing and really successful. And I know a lot of short
men, boy, you don’t want to compete with them. They are tough and they are smart.

 Eminem and the Bully
We all have bully stories. Some of us were bullied and some of us were bullies. Recently,
rapper Eminem got the last word on a bully who picked on him many years ago.
Eminem wrote a song called “Brain Damage” where he mentioned by name a bully who
used to harass him on a daily basis. The kid, who is now a sanitation worker in Detroit,
tried to sue Eminem saying the lyrics weren’t exactly true. He admitted, however, that he
did pick on the rapper but not to the extent that Eminem said.
The ex-bully said that the song invaded his privacy and hurt his reputation. But the courts
disagreed saying nobody would take Eminem’s version of the story literally. The bully’s
case against Eminem was dropped.
Good for Eminem. I happen to know him and really like him a lot. So take that, Mr.
Bully. Looks to me like the bullied kid got the last laugh and I think it’s just great.

 Money or Sex?
This year I’m leading several hard-hitting real estate seminars in Los Angeles, New York
and Chicago. The theme is “One weekend can make you a millionaire.”
When students enroll for the seminar, they’re asked to fill out a one-page preliminary
questionnaire with basic questions about their age, income, educational level and career
background. But the final question’s a whopper. It asks, “Which of the following would
you prefer: buying a home for $600,000 and selling it 30 days later for $1.2 million or
having great sex for 30 days in a row with a gorgeous, fantastic partner?”
It was no contest, real estate won by a landslide. Of the students who answered so far,
only about 7 percent of them said they’d rather have the great sex.
All in all, the results weren’t surprising to me. Real estate – particularly making a lot of
money in real estate – can be very, very sexy.

 Choosing a Baby’s Sex
Should expectant parents be allowed to choose the sex of their unborn babies? Soon that
may be an option for people using in vitro fertilization in the U.K.
While the debate is raging in the U.K. meanwhile, in Australia, couples visiting fertility
clinics are no longer to choose the sex of their unborn baby.
Opponents say that this is a moral issue. By choosing whether they’ll have a boy or girl,
expectant parents and their doctors are playing God, they say. What’s next, they ask? Will
people start choosing eye color or maybe even better hair? Well, that doesn’t sound like a
bad idea to me.
Personally, I don’t see what the big hubbub is all about. If a couple really wants a boy,
why not let them have one? Or if the family already has a houseful of boys and they want
a beautiful darling little baby girl, what’s the big deal?

 “TRUMPED” radio transcripts
June 2005
Teen cancer case in Texas
This is a tough one. There’s a 13-year-old girl in Corpus Christi, Texas, who has cancer.
Because her parents refused to continue her cancer treatments, she was taken from her
family and placed into state custody. They said it was because they didn’t want her to be
at a higher risk for learning problems, growth issues or other more serious side effects.
Now I’ve known a few parents that are very good people but they just don’t get it when it
comes to medicine. They don’t want their daughters or sons to have polio vaccines; they
don’t want anything like it. It’s really pretty sad and pretty scary. You know, the polio
epidemic was a disaster until the vaccine came out so why wouldn’t you allow your kids
to have it?
In any event, this case has earned national attention because it’s become a battle between
parental rights and the state’s job to protect children from abuse or neglect. The judge has
a difficult job. I only hope he made the right choice.

 Sex and Violence in the Movies
At the Cannes Film Festival, there was a bit of controversy generated over the movie,
“Where the Truth Lies.” It caused a lot of controversy because of the movie’s explicit sex
scenes. The ironic thing is that while movie goers were very upset by the graphic sex,
they seemed complacent about the scenes filled with graphic violence.
The other day I heard a parent saying she would let her very young son go to see the
newest Star Wars movie despite warnings – even from director George Lucas – that it’s
not for small children. When asked, she said, “Well, at least it doesn’t have sex.” The
graphic violence is not an issue.
I don’t understand why people find sex more disturbing that violence in the movies. Why
are we more obsessed about sex – which is a natural occurrence – that with violence? I
think we need more and better priorities.

 Regis
There’ve been a lot of rumors lately about my buddy, Regis Philibin, and whether
producers are trying to replace him with “Survivor” host, Jeff Probst. There’s absolutely
no way.
Regis recently made a harmless and cute statement joking that his executive producer
Gelman, who is also a terrific guy, couldn’t wait to get Jeff as his vacation fill-in and his
eventual replacement. The fact is that Regis’s contract runs through next year and unless
he decides he wants to stop doing his show, there’s just no way Regis could ever be
replaced.
Regis has spent more than 15,000 hours on television, earning him a pretty remarkable
spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Nobody has spent more time on television
than my man. His job looks easy only because Regis is so good at it. Don’t worry. He
won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

 Paris is engaged
Paris Hilton is engaged to her boyfriend of about five months, a Greek shipping heir also
named Paris. Every time celebrities get ready to walk down the aisle – and, believe me, I
know all about that – I continuously caution them to get a prenuptial agreement.
I know the Hilton family very well and it’s a great family. In fact, I’ve know Paris since
she was a baby and she was always even a beautiful baby. And over the years many
people have underestimated Paris Hilton. But don’t underestimate her.
For her part, Paris says she knew that it was true love because her boyfriend Paris was the
first young man she dated who didn’t have his eye on her family fortune. For the record -Paris the man -- his family is even richer than the Hilton family.
So good luck, Paris – that is, to both of you. And just in case, don’t forget to sign the
prenup.

 Mom hires stripper for son
A mother in Nashville is facing criminal charges after she hired a stripper to perform at
her 16-year-old son’s birthday party. About 30 people were at the birthday bash and about
10 of them were under 18. Turns out that the stripper – who goes by the name of Sassy –
danced for several hours at the party. Then when the partygoers raised an extra $150,
Sassy stripped down to her birthday suit.
The mother is being charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and with
involving a minor in obscene acts. For her part, she doesn’t understand what the fuss is
all about. The mother said, “I just tried to do something special for my son.”
I guess she could’ve just bought him a GameBoy, but still, c’mon. The boy is 16 years
old and probably going on 30. The mother loves her son. She’s not looking to hurt him.
Give her a break.

 Hillary for President?
For the first time ever, a recent survey said that a majority of Americans would be at least
somewhat likely to vote for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton if she decides to run for
president in 2008. The poll conducted by USA Today and Gallop found that 53% of
respondents were likely to vote for Hillary if she made a bid for the Oval Office.
For her part, Hillary says she is currently spending all her time and energy focused on
winning reelection to the United States Senate. She doesn’t have the time to think about
the White House. But nobody’s thinking that she’s not thinking about a presidential run in
2008. Now that she knows that so many Americans are behind her, I know that she’ll be
thinking long and hard about the Oval Office in three years.
It’ll be interesting to see how the process ends up…and also to see Bill Clinton as the
first husband.

 Michael Jackson
Boy, am I happy about the Michael Jackson verdict which came down on Monday. Over
the weeks I’ve watched all of these various newscasters predict that Michael would be
guilty and they were totally sure of it. And then when I watched them on Tuesday and
Monday night after the decision came down, I heard them saying how they called it right,
how they knew he was going to be innocent and all of this other stuff. It just goes to show
what we’re dealing with on a constant basis in the media.
Michael could have left that California courtroom in handcuffs facing as many as 52
years in prison. Instead, he’s a free man and I’m happy for him. I’ve known Michael for a
long time. He’s lived in my buildings many, many years and, you know what? In all of
those years I’ve never seen him do one thing even a little bit wrong.
From the start it was obvious that the accuser’s mother was just plain bad news. I told
you that a long time ago and I’ll tell you that again now. The good news is the jury
figured her out pretty quickly. I just wish they could now prosecute her.
Well, now that Michael has a fresh start, I hope he’ll make some changes in his life.
Michael, for a little while at least, keep a low profile. Stay out of the tabloids and, for
goodness sake, don’t say hello to those little boys.

 Deep Throat
The identity of Watergate’s Deep Throat was one of the best-kept secrets of the 20th
century. Many people believed that it was someone with an incredible conscience who
was willing to put himself at great risk in order to get the truth out.
It turns out that it was W. Mark Felt, the second in command at the FBI. Doesn’t it seem
that with a position that powerful he shouldn’t have been whispering to Woodward and
Bernstein? If he thought something was illegal, those illegal acts should’ve been brought
to the authorities and he was certainly in a position to do that.
And guess what? He wasn’t leaking the story because he had a great sense of what was
right or wrong. He did it because he was ticked off that didn’t get the head job at the FBI.
This guy’s no hero. He was convicted of authorizing illegal searches in the ‘70s and was
later, unfortunately, pardoned by President Reagan.
But whatever his past, his present’s not so great either. He didn’t step forward now
because he cared so much about setting history straight. He did it because he wanted to
cash in. Because he’s 91 and his health is failing, his family figured it wouldn’t be a
secret much longer. They want to get a book out before it’s too late to make the big
money.
This guy, Mark Felt, is no hero. In my opinion, he’s a rat. Even at 91, I’d love to see the
FBI go in and take him out in handcuffs.

 Father’s Day
People often ask me about my role models. They want to know who’s been my biggest
inspiration. That’s easy: My father, Fred Trump. He was by far the greatest man I’ll ever
know and the biggest influence on my life. My father taught me how to make deals. He
had a natural gift for promotion in addition to being a really wonderful builder, and I
guess some of that rubbed off on me.
But one thing beyond everything else, my father always trusted me. That faith gave me
unshakable confidence. Even when I was at my lowest point in the early 1990s when the
world was collapsing and the real estate markets were collapsing, my father would say,
“You’ll never have any real problems. You’re a killer. You’re a king.”
My father is no longer around but so much of what I accomplished I did because of him.
He was a great teacher and a great guy. Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

 Government and Koran Abuse
When Newsweek retracted an unsubstantiated report on Koran abuse, we were all relieved
and yet angry at the media for using anonymous sources. Newsweek was wrong.
But in response, the government went ahead and investigated the situation. They
uncovered many cases of Koran abuse but nearly all of those abuses were committed by
the prisoners, not the guards. However, they did find a handful of situations where the
Koran was disrespected by the guards.
So what did the government do? Instead of shutting up and let the issue go away, they
immediately announced that, yes, there were some instances where the Koran was not
treated with proper respect.
I’m not saying that honesty isn’t important but I think that there are times when the
government has to decide that too much information is not in our best interest. In this
case, they should have just kept the story to themselves.

 Should the Devils Change Their Name?
Ever since we all started worrying about being politically correct, there’s been talk of
teams like the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins changing
their names. Now, a politician in New Jersey wants the New Jersey Devils NHL team – if
the NHL still exists – to change to a less demonic name.
State Assemblyman Craig Stanley, says he has a big problem with the whole “devil”
symbolism. The team’s CEO and general manager Lou Lamoriello who, by the way, has
done an amazing job and is an amazing guy, says the team has won three Stanley Cup
championships as the Devils and will never change its name. Acting governor Richard
Codey, a great sports fan and a friend of mine, agrees the name should stay as it is. And
he’s 100 percent right.
Keep fighting them, Lou. You’re going to win this one just like you won all those Stanley
Cups.

 Paparazzi Photos
Editors at US Weekly, a magazine that prints dozens and dozens of celebrity photos each
week, announced that they are changing their photo policies. They will no longer use
photos that were taken in a reckless manner -- if the photographer, for example, was
breaking traffic laws or trespassing on private property when the photo was taken.
Most recently an aggressive photographer intentionally rammed his van into the side of
Lindsay Lohan’s car in order to take some pictures. She was okay, but who knows what’ll
happen next.
I think it’s a great idea in theory. But how are they going to enforce it? Do you think a
photographer who is nervy enough to do something illegal in order to get a picture is
actually going to admit to breaking the law?
There are many magazines that prosper thanks to celebrity photographs. Unless they all
agree to live by the same guidelines, these paparazzi photos are certainly going to find a
place to be published.

 Book Deal for Runaway Bride
They sure aren’t happy down in Georgia where the runaway bride, Jennifer Wilbanks,
inked a book deal and maybe even a movie deal about her life story. It looks like Jennifer
and her fiancé (and can you believe this guy is actually going to go through with the
marriage?) may be scoring some big bucks for telling their story. In my opinion, he ought
to take the money and run.
Some really angry people are now exploring the feasibility of a class action lawsuit
against the runaway bride and her maybe-groom. They say their intentions aren’t to
generate income for themselves but rather to prevent the bride and groom from making
money off their experiences. I’m with these guys. I didn’t think the runaway bride should
go to jail. But I sure don’t think she deserved a book deal or a movie deal.
And at least I now know why her fiancé is staying by her side. It must be financial. It
certainly can’t be romantic, not after the number she did on him.

 Death Penalty in Texas
Texas may soon lose its reputation as the No. 1 state for the death penalty.
Governor Rick Perry recently signed a law that will now give juries the option of
sentencing murderers to life without parole. Up until now, juries in Texas capital murder
cases had only two options: the death penalty or life in prison with the possibility of
parole after 40 years.
So many murderers were sentenced to death because juries didn’t want them to have the
opportunity to eventually get out on parole. The only people who really fought the law
change are those who say these guys now have no motivation to behave behind bars.
When they had the possibility of parole, they sometimes changed for the better, knowing
that a good record can help them eventually get out of prison.
So what? I think it’s better that they misbehave in prison than that they misbehave out on
the streets. Lock’em up and throw away the key.

 Finding a Wife
I recently heard about some men who want a wife so badly that they’re willing to spend a
lot of money to get one. Not that surprising.
There’s a guy in St. Louis who is offering a $10,000 reward to the person who introduces
him to a woman he ends up proposing to.
Then there’s a man from Manhattan Beach, California, who’s taking applications at his
web site for a soul mate. He’ll take potential girlfriends on all-expenses paid trip to
Africa, the Amazon and Tahiti until he finds the woman of his dreams. He’s had 600
videos, 2,200 emails and a guest spot on “Oprah.” So far, no luck.
I guess I don’t blame these guys. Life sure is a lot better if you have a great woman to
share it with. Here’s my advice for these guys: don’t give up. The perfect woman is out
there somewhere. Just don’t spend all of your money trying to find her. You might need
some of it to make her stay.

 TV Makes You Smarter
Not long ago, The New York Times did a lengthy story attempting to prove the theory
that, contrary to popular belief, television actually makes you smarter.
The theory is that many of today’s most popular television shows have much more
complex story lines – which is true. Viewers have to follow many main characters and
many interwoven stories in order to appreciate and understand those programs. If they
don’t pay attention, they won’t catch all the nuances and back stories. And even good
reality television shows – like “The Apprentice” – make you use your brain in order to
follow along and to figure out which of the contestants have the best shot.
So there you have it. The next time you plop down on the couch for “The Apprentice” or
any other quality show on television, there’s no need to feel guilty. You’re not wasting
your time. You’re putting those brain cells to work and you’re just becoming smarter.

 Danica Patrick
I don’t know what Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone -- a really smart guy -- was
thinking. He called racecar rookie Danica Patrick to congratulate her on her Indianapolis
500 performance and, some time during the conversation, said a woman should be all
dressed in white like all the other domestic appliances. Well, he was kidding…I think…
but he’s certainly taken a lot of heat.
I’ve called women a lot of things in my life – beautiful, smart and sometimes frustrating
– but I wouldn’t say anything like that. Comparing a woman to a toaster or washing
machine? It just doesn’t play.
Formula One auto racing isn’t a sport that has exactly captured the attention of Americans
like baseball, football or NASCAR.
But Danica has done a great job. She’s beautiful. She’s smart. She’s brave. And she’s
actually a great racer. I really like watching her. She’s got the “it” factor.

 Blacks v. White, take 2
As the fourth season of “The Apprentice” is gearing up – it’ll be going on in September –
we’re already looking ahead to Season Five. For “The Apprentice,” someone suggested
pitting a team of successful whites against a team of successful blacks. I posed the idea to
listeners and boy, did you respond.
Although it wasn’t overwhelming, more people were against the idea than in favor of it,
but plenty of them liked it a lot. In response to my web site, 46 percent of the people
thought it was a bad idea, 27 percent thought it was a good idea and the remaining 27
percent weren’t exactly sure what they thought.
I wasn’t a big fan of the idea to begin with, but I really wanted to get feedback from the
viewers and fans of “The Apprentice.” While the blacks-versus-whites idea may be very
reflective of our country and the sad state of things, it may not be the best idea to
highlight it even further.

 Student Assault
I’ve heard all kinds of problems in schools but here’s a new one. A high school student in
Kansas was convicted of battery for vomiting on his Spanish teacher. Apparently, the
teenager threw up on the teacher when he turned his text book in on the last day of
school.
He claimed that it was an accident and it happened because he was nervous about the
final exams. But two other students testified that the kid threw up on purpose.
The judge who heard the case said that he considered the boy’s actions an assault upon
the dignity of all teachers. As punishment he ordered the student to spend the next four
months cleaning up after people who throw up in police cars. Now that’s a tough
sentence.
As kids all over the country get ready to go back to school, let this be a lesson to
everyone involved. Students, don’t throw up on your teachers. And teachers, don’t get too
close to your students, especially the ones that look a little green around the gills.

 Ghosts
I have to admit, this one surprises me. A Gallup poll recently found that one out of every
three Americans believes in ghosts. Even more Americans actually believe that houses
can be haunted. That’s a lot of people.
Interestingly, whether or not you believe in ghosts and spirits can depend on your
political affiliations. According to the poll, 42 percent of liberals say they believe in
ghosts but only 25 percent of conservatives and about one-third of the moderates believe
in ghosts.
The poll finds that the older that people are the less likely they are to believe in spirits
and haunted houses. Personally, I’m not a believer. I think when people die they
hopefully have better things to do than bug the people that are still alive.
In a related note, Tom Cruise became even more of a gossip item recently when he said
he believed in aliens. I wonder if he believes in ghosts.

 Fighting spam
If you have an email account, you have spam. No doubt your inbox is filled with
hundreds of offers for everything from low-cost prescription medicine to chain letters and
questionable investment opportunities.
Now a technology firm is offering consumers a chance to get spammers back with a taste
of their own medicine. The company – called Blue Security – has a software program that
will go to any online forms on the spammers’ web site and fill them out with anti-spam
complaints instead of orders. The creators are hoping that all those complaints will clog
the spammers’ web sites and make it more difficult and more costly for them to stay in
business.
Some people are critical of the approach, saying that this fighting fire with fire is
vigilantism and that it borders on the illegal. But it appears to be a fairly straight-forward
way to fight spammers at their own game.
If they stay out of our email, then we’ll stay out of theirs.

 Sienna and Jude
So Jude Law’s in trouble. He admitted having an affair with his children’s nanny and has
apologized to his fiancé – or to be technically correct – his former fiancée, Sienna Miller.
Sienna has decided not to forgive and forget. She reportedly called off the engagement
and is refusing to even speak to Jude. Actually, that sounds like a lot of the women I used
to know.
Yes, I believe that maybe her heart is broken and yes, I bet she feels pretty humiliated.
She probably never wants to see the guy again and I guess I don’t blame her. But Sienna
needs to look at the bright side. For the most part, nobody knew who she was before this
happened. These days she’s on the front pages of all the tabloids and entertainment
tabloids. You really can’t buy that kind of publicity. And whether or not Jude Law likes it
or not, at this point she’s going to be a bigger star than him.
Sienna, sorry to hear about your misfortune. But you know what? Congratulations,
you’ve just become a star.

 Fast Food Education
Students employed at several fast food restaurants around the country are getting paid to
do their homework while they’re at work.
There’s a McDonald’s franchise owner in Wisconsin who allows his student employees to
stay on the clock when they’re studying. Franchise owners of two fast food restaurants in
Detroit are paying high school and college students an extra hour of salary either before
or after their shifts as long as they’re spending that time doing schoolwork. Other
restaurant bosses allow their foreign-born employees to take English language classes as
part of their shifts, for which they get paid. Isn’t that nice?
These programs obviously offer great benefits to students. It gives them wonderful
motivation – money – to make sure they do their homework. But it’s also a benefit to the
employers themselves. It should help them attract and keep good, strong, young
employees. And by the way, smart ones, at that.

 Martha Stewart’s Apprentice
The new fall season is around the corner and this time you’ll get an extra helping of “The
Apprentice.” In addition to the groundbreaking original version -- starring, of course, me
-- I’ll be producing along with Mark Burnett a second “Apprentice” featuring Martha
Stewart.
“The Apprentice” has been so strong and is such a ratings monster that it has become one
of NBC’s newest and biggest franchises. We thought how better to showcase a winning
formula than by adding a second edition? Since I have buildings to build, Mark and I
signed Martha to do the firing and hiring on Wednesday nights starting in mid-September.
The original Apprentice – MY Apprentice -- will be on Thursday nights as usual.
Martha has certainly proven her strength and determination, having made it through her
prison sentence with ease. We’re not revealing a lot of details about Martha’s show yet.
One thing is for sure, however. Martha won’t be using my boardroom and she won’t be
saying, “You’re fired.”

 OK! USA magazine
Anyone who has been through a supermarket checkout or walked by a newspaper stand
certainly knows there’s a sea of celebrity magazines out there.
Now a British publisher is launching an American version of the British weekly
magazine, “OK.” This will be a different kind of publication because the magazine is
prepared to pay celebrities for their stories and will give them control over the exclusive
interviews and the photographs that run with them.
It certainly seems like a good idea. I’m sure most celebrities will welcome this kind of
publication. Who wouldn’t like to get his or her story told the way they’d like with the
photos they choose? On top of it all, the celebrities will even get paid. Listen to that one.
That is just beautiful.
Spokespeople for “OK! USA” say the stars that they’ve approached so far love the idea
and are lining up to tell – and sell – their stories. Maybe I’ll just be one of them.

 Date Lance
Recently I told you about a couple of men who were going to extremes in order to find
the perfect woman.
Now there’s a 31-year-old guy in Utah whose friends have plastered his face on a
billboard hoping to find him a girlfriend. His name is Lance. He’s a former basketball
player at Brigham Young University and a graduate of Harvard Business School
Lance’s friends say that because he’s in his 30s and a Mormon, he’s basically the male
equivalent of an old maid.
A few thousand people have visited the web site, datelance.com, and plenty of women
have applied for a date. As for Lance, who didn’t know about the billboard until his
friends drove him past it, he’s keeping his sense of humor. He says he’s not overly
concerned about marriage although he’d certainly like to do it someday.
But what’s a guy who graduated from Harvard doing advertising for women this way? I’ll
tell you what, all of my friends from the Harvard Business School are just a little bit
embarrassed.
I’m Donald Trump and that’s the Real Deal.

 Email
I get thousands of letters and email messages from people asking all kinds of questions
about everything from investment advice to “Apprentice” trivia. I thought that I’d take a
minute to answer some of the most common questions I received on TrumpOnAir.com.
To all of the people in New Zealand and Australia who sent so many nice messages now
that they finally get to listen to my radio commentaries and watch “the Apprentice” on
television…thank you for your kind words.
In answer to the smart people who heard all about my Donald J. Trump Signature
Collection of suits, ties and shirts but don’t know where to buy them, just go to Macy’s.
It’s exclusive.
I’m not sure why you want to know but in response to other questions:
My favorite movie is “Citizen Kane.”
And if I could meet any former president – living or dead – I’d want to meet Lincoln or
Washington.
Keep the questions coming and go to Macy’s and buy a suit.

 Bad Bosses
What makes a really bad boss? I wouldn’t know. But according to an ongoing survey of
thousands of employees from all lines of work across the country, the worse offense a
boss can commit is belittling an employee in front of others. There’s no excuse for that.
The other qualities that make a terrible boss include an employer who lies, who is
condescending or embarrasses employees or one who micromanages. I like to think I’m
not guilty of those things. I try to be fair and upfront with my employees. I know I expect
a lot from them but in turn, I would imagine they expect a lot from me.
Can bad bosses change their ways? They have to. If your employees can’t stand you,
you’re certainly not going to get their respect and most definitely not going to get their
best work. And if you can’t motivate your employees, then you should just give up the
corner office and walk away.

 Shuttle and Space
The first United States shuttle mission in more than two years came to a successful end
last week when the Discovery touched down at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
I’m a big fan of progress and I think Discovery’s accomplishment was great. The
astronauts are about as brave as people can get. They truly are American heroines and
heroes.
But when it’s all said and done, I ask myself, “What are we doing? What do we get from
this?” I really haven’t been able to figure out why we need manned missions to space. It
would seem to be safer, cheaper and probably more scientifically productive to
concentrate only on robotic missions. We wouldn’t be risking lives and we’d be making
more progress, if in fact dealing in space is progress…and I’m not 100 percent sure it is.
Maybe some money should be taken out of our space program and put into things like
cheaper energy. You know, there are a lot of answers to energy and we’re not even close.

 Jennifer Aniston
After months of keeping quiet about her ex-husband’s fling with Angelina Jolie, Jennifer
Aniston finally tells her side of the story in the current issue of Vanity Fair magazine.
Jennifer says she chooses to believe Brad’s comments that he didn’t cheat on her before
they were separated. Jennifer, don’t be a dope. Believe me, he cheated.
Throughout the interview, Jennifer appears to be reflective, emotional and even funny.
The interviewer says Jennifer even cried at times during their conversation. Critics are
questioning the authenticity of Jennifer’s emotions since she allegedly agreed to do the
interview only if she were given the questions in advance.
So what? I think it’s Jennifer’s turn in the spotlight. Maybe Brad and Angelina could just
disappear for awhile. Besides, I actually happen to think that Jennifer’s better looking
than Angelina. And I’d also like to see Jennifer come back and be the lead-in on NBC for
“The Apprentice.”

 Katrina and Oil Prices
Everybody in news is today focused on Katrina, the devastating hurricane that took place
all over the Gulf Coast. The other thing everyone’s talking about is the price of fuel.
I watch now as everybody is blaming Katrina for the huge increase in the cost of
gasoline. I say to myself, “You know, it sounds good but in my opinion,
this is just a bunch of countries getting together and saying let’s use this terrible hurricane
in order to lift our fuel prices even higher.
It’s not Katrina. It’s the oil producing states. It’s Saudi Arabia saying, “Let’s screw the
public.”
When are we going to get smart in Washington? When are we going to go after these
people and say, “Hey look. We’re protecting you. We’re making your lives beautiful. It’s
enough. You get those damn oil prices down right now. And don’t blame this natural
disaster.”

 Jerk-O-Meter
How many times have you been on the phone when you get bored with the conversation
and your attention starts to wander? Now there is a way that you can keep yourself in
check.
Researchers at MIT are developing software for cell phones that would analyze a caller’s
speech patterns and voice tones in order to rate them on how engaged they really are in a
conversation. A message will pop up on the phone warning you that you’re starting to
sound like a jerk or suggest that you’re fading fast.
Once they get the bugs worked out, you’ll be able to analyze the caller to see how bored
they are with the conversation.
Although I have a lot of respect for MIT -- in fact, my uncle went there -- I really don’t
understand the value this offers. In most instances I don’t care how I come across in a
phone conversation and I don’t need help from a software program to tell me if the
person on the other line is acting like a jerk. I deal with jerks all the time and I know how
to handle them.

 Getting Fired
I’m not the only one who has been doing a lot of firing recently. It’s been a busy summer
for corporate job cuts.
There’s one web site that lets people tell tales about getting fired, laid off or downsized.
The best story at SimplyFired.com will win a trip for two aboard the Apprentice cruise
ship to the Caribbean. They’ll sail along with plenty of people I’ve fired including Raj,
Heidi, Danny and Troy so they can all sit around and talk about their bad ex-bosses
including me, Donald Trump.
So far, the firing stories have been pretty good. There was this guy who was canned after
running over his boss’s foot with the company car. But one of my favorites is the man
who was fired for calling in sick when he was feeling just fine. He went to spend the
afternoon with his new girlfriend only to have her dad stop by for a surprise visit. Turns
out that the girlfriend’s dad was the guy’s boss. He got his pink slip the next day. I
wonder what happened to the relationship.

 Esquire’s Best-Dressed
In their September issue, the editors of Esquire magazine chose the 21 best-dressed men
in the world. Although I hate to brag, I have to admit I made the list.
But I’m in some pretty good company – actors like George Clooney, Jude Law and Luke
Wilson and other well-known people like NBC’s Matt Lauer, quarterback Tom Brady
(who happens to be a great friend of mine and a total winner) and former president Bill
Clinton. The best-dressed man according to Esquire is hitmaker Pharrell Williams,
whoever the hell that is.
I’m very honored to be in such good company because I know how important it is to look
good and dress well. Oftentimes you can size someone up within seconds of an
introduction just by looking at what they’re wearing. Just remember how important it is
to dress for success.
If you don’t look like you want to succeed, you’re probably going to have a very tough
time.

 Why Men Don’t Listen
New research from British scientists at the University of Sheffield finds that men’s brains
aren’t exactly wired to hear a woman’s voice.
In the study, researchers tracked brain activity in men as they listen to recordings of many
different voices. They found that men deciphered female voices using the same part of
the brain that processes music. However, men use a much simpler mechanism in a
different part of the brain in order to process voices from other men.
In order to understand what a woman says it’s like listening to an intricate symphony. So
whether women are saying “Take out the garbage” or “How do I look?” there’s an
anatomical reason why we don’t respond. It’s not because we don’t care or we’re much
more engrossed in the sports pages or television. It’s because your voice is too beautiful,
too complex, too melodious for our simple minds to register.

 Sienna and Jude again
Looks like maybe Sienna Miller hasn’t really said goodbye for good to Jude Law after his
affair with the children’s nanny.
Jude and Sienna were spotted together strolling on a street in London. Jude has certainly
been letting the pictures do the talking recently. The day before the photo with Sienna hit
the press a picture of Jude with his pants down hit the papers. Maybe seeing Jude in the
buff is what made Sienna change her mind.
In any case, a survey by the Wall Street Journal Europe found that if you’re going to
cheat on your spouse, you might want to consider moving to Britain. Seventy percent of
Britons said infidelity can be forgiven. I guess I haven’t gone out with very many British
women.
However, the survey also found that women overall are much less tolerant of affairs than
men are. Maybe that’s because men are usually the ones doing the cheating. In any case,
Jude and Sienna are still on all the magazine covers and in Hollywood, you just can’t do
better than that.

 Vioxx Lawsuit
Just last week, Merck Pharmaceutical Company was held liable in the first lawsuit
involving its controversial drug Vioxx. A jury awarded more than $250 million in
damages to a Texas woman whose husband – a 59-year-old marathon runner – died of a
heart attack while taking the drug for arthritis.
This case will probably have a profound effect on thousands of other lawsuits that are
pending against the company. The award to me seems very excessive and with heart
attacks being the number one cause of death in the United States, who’s to say that he
really died from Vioxx anyway? That was the whole purpose of the case. Maybe Merck
should get a different set of lawyers.
I don’t know if Vioxx was really the problem with this 59-year-old marathon runner.
Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. But lots of people die of heart attacks. And lots of
widows don’t get $250 million in damages from a drug company

 Next Apprentice
In just a matter of weeks I’ll be joined by a new group of job applicants all vying for a
job in the Trump Organization in another season of The Apprentice.
I have to be totally honest that I wasn’t very happy with the candidates over the last
couple of seasons. For the most part they just weren’t a very exciting group and I had
nothing to do with picking them.
So this year for Apprentice Number Four, I chose the candidates myself and they are
spectacular, the best group that we’ve had so far. I shouldn’t say this I guess, but some of
the women are among the best-looking women I’ve ever seen. In fact, I took a little heat.
Some people thought it wasn’t realistic to have such beautiful women. Well, I’ll just have
to suffer with this one.
So, I’ll see you on September 22 as a whole new crop of talented and in some cases very
beautiful people will be hearing those terrible words, “You’re fired!”

 Terrell Owens
Superstar wide receiver Terrell Owens has been making a lot of football fans unhappy in
Philadelphia. He signed a contract last year with the Eagles and now he wants a new deal.
There’s no question that Terrell has great talent but Terrell is handling things terribly. I
really wish I could represent him.
He’s being belligerent and disrespectful. He was suspended for a week from training
camp after getting into a verbal altercation with his coach. He’s handling the situation
with arrogance while alienating many of his teammates and the fans.
In sports it’s really interesting. If you have a bad season, the athletes want to be paid
according to their contracts. And oftentimes, if they have a great season the athletes say,
“What contract? I don’t know about a contract.”
The fact is Terrell gave it a shot. Now he ought to get back, play football, do well. And
maybe some day in the not-so-distant future he’ll get a new and better contract.

 Most Popular Dead Stars
Of all the celebrities in the world, who’s your favorite dead star? It turns out that most
people adore Lucille Ball and I don’t blame them.
The company that developed the Q score -- that’s what broadcasters use to measure
celebrities’ popularity – did a survey testing the reputation of performers that are no
longer with us. As in years’ past, Lucy topped the list, just like she used to top the ratings’
list on television. Lucy was followed by a spectacular guy named Bob Hope, then John
Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Red Skelton.
The way the Q score works is consumers are given a list of famous names and asked if
they recognize the people and how much they like them. From those responses they
calculate the Q score which is used to see how stars rank in popularity.
Actually, somebody told me that I have one of the highest on record Q scores. I’m totally
shocked to hear that.