John D. Miller, the former chief marketing officer for NBCUniversal, apologized for doing “irreparable harm by creating the false image of [Donald] Trump as a successful leader.”
“I deeply regret that. And I regret that it has taken me so long to go public,” Miller wrote in an essay for U.S. News & World Report.
Miller reflected on how “The Apprentice,” for which Miller led the marketing, created a false “narrative that Trump was a super-successful businessman who lived like royalty.”
“In fact, Trump declared business bankruptcy four times before the show went into production, and at least twice more during his 14 seasons hosting,” he wrote, adding that the boardroom where Trump famously told contestants, “You’re fired,” was a set because “[Trump’s] real boardroom was too old and shabby for TV.”
Miller also described how Trump had no issues with lying—repeatedly.
“He thought he could simply say something over and over, and eventually people would believe it,” Miller wrote, saying that Trump would claim “The Apprentice” was the No. 1 show on TV when it wasn’t and after he’d been told it wasn’t. “He didn’t like being fact-checked back then either,” Miller added.
Miller worked closely with Trump for over a decade, but he’s not the only former ally who’s turned on Trump. Those with the rare perspective of knowing what Trump behind closed doors have been warning Americans of his danger.
