Does Donald Trump Follow His Own Advice from The Apprentice? Here’s What He Said About Negotiating in Season 1

Early pearls of Trumpian wisdom from the inaugural 2004 season of The Apprentice offer a revealing glimpse of reality TV’s boardroom boss, long before he moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. With episodes now streaming on Amazon Prime, a trip down Apprentice memory lane is just a click away.

The man who made “You’re fired” a cultural catchphrase has undergone a striking transformation over the decades — trading vodka, casino and real estate ventures for tariffs and trade wars that have rippled through global markets.

In The Apprentice’s debut season, Donald Trump was the show’s unflappable centerpiece: assigning tasks at the top of each episode, dispensing business advice midway through, and ultimately delivering his signature dismissal to one unlucky contestant.

It’s nothing personal. It’s just business. The phrase flashed across the opening credits every episode like a mission statement — and more than 20 years later, it echoes on the world stage.

Marketed as “the ultimate job interview,” the hit reality series featured the larger-than-life mogul guiding 16 ambitious 20-somethings — and more than 20 million weekly viewers — through cutthroat business challenges. Contestants scrambled for his approval, eager to absorb lessons in negotiation, deal-making and standing their ground without getting fired. In the end, only one would be hired to work for the Trump organization.

Negotiation emerged as a recurring theme throughout season one, as determined teams hustled across Manhattan — hawking lemonade, collaborating with celebrities or pitching ad campaigns. Trump weighed in with characteristic confidence: “Negotiation is a very, very delicate art,” he said. “Sometimes you have to be tough, sometimes you have to be sweet as pie. You never know—it depends on who you’re dealing with. I’ve always said negotiation isn’t really learned. It’s almost innate. It’s in the genes. A negotiator is born.”

The future 45 and 47 pointed to his own financial comeback as proof of those innate skills: “At one point, I was billions of dollars in debt,” Trump recalled. “But I fought back, and I won — big league. I used my brain. I used my negotiating skills. And I worked it all out. Now my company is bigger than it ever was.”

As competing teams descended on Times Square’s Planet Hollywood to battle over who could rack up the most sales, their TV mentor delivered a lesson in business ethics. Seated in a gold-gilded chair amid opulent surroundings, Trump advised viewers: “Once you make a deal with someone, it’s really important to carry it through. You start developing the wrong reputation, it makes it impossible to make future deals. Once you shake hands, that should be it.”

He continued with a more tactical piece of advice a few episodes later — another glimpse into his philosophy on deal-making: “The big thing in negotiation is to try and figure out your opponent; otherwise you’re going to look like an idiot and lose big.”

Trump’s never-back-down mindset didn’t begin in the political arena — it was on full display as early as episode five. “You’ve always got to stand up for yourself,” he told viewers. “You just have to fight for yourself because, basically, nobody else is going to fight for you.”

A final key takeaway from Trump’s reality TV wisdom centers on loyalty — a trait that would later loom large in his presidential cabinet and inner circle. The Apprentice made clear that loyalty wasn’t just a preference, but a principle.

“The greatest thing that can happen to a businessman or woman is to surround yourself with talented people who also happen to be loyal,” he said. “You never know what makes a loyal person; and guess what — if they’re not loyal to you one time, don’t give them a second chance, because they won’t be loyal to you the next time.”