Trump’s image as a successful businessman and savvy negotiator on the show The Apprentice helped create a favorable impression among viewers, boosting his appeal among voters in 2016. Entertainment media, often viewed as politically neutral, can have significant political consequences.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/american-viewer-political-consequences-of-entertainment-media/A0BADA28D5C551DE4EEBDAAAE33B76E8

From the linked article:

A new study published in the American Political Science Review explores how Donald Trump’s role on the reality television show The Apprentice helped propel his success in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. The research suggests that Trump’s carefully cultivated image as a successful businessman and savvy negotiator on the show helped create a lasting, favorable impression among viewers, boosting his appeal among voters. The findings add to the growing evidence that entertainment media, often viewed as politically neutral, can have significant political consequences.

By presenting Trump in this light, The Apprentice helped to solidify an image of him as “America’s Boss,” a competent and authoritative figure capable of making tough decisions. This image, the researchers hypothesized, resonated with voters when they considered him as a political candidate in 2016.

The study’s findings suggest that exposure to The Apprentice did have a significant effect on voter perceptions of Trump. Regular viewers of the show were more likely to trust Trump and feel connected to him on a personal level. This was reflected in their likelihood to defend him against negative information, such as the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, and to rely on his business experience and leadership qualities when explaining their political support.

Geographically, regions with higher viewership of The Apprentice saw a corresponding increase in Trump’s vote share in the Republican primary. This effect was not found for other Republican candidates, nor did it significantly influence Trump’s performance in the general election.

The researchers argue that The Apprentice gave Trump a unique advantage in the primary, where partisan cues were less prominent, and voters were more open to considering alternative candidates. The uncontested, positive portrayal of Trump on The Apprentice provided a powerful boost to his public credibility, helping him stand out in a crowded field of Republican candidates.

In short, the study shows that Trump’s role on The Apprentice helped create a favorable image that translated into political support during the 2016 Republican primary. The researchers highlight the importance of entertainment media in shaping voter behavior, suggesting that political figures who leverage these platforms can build strong, one-sided personal bonds with voters that can be difficult to challenge, even in the face of negative information.

And it’s interesting how that image was completely fabricated by the shows creators. There’s an article about it by someone who used to be on the crew and now no longer has an NDA. Can’t remember where I read that article but it was fascinating.

Dude bankrupted a casino.

His only real success with cosplaying a successful businessman on television.

I watched this show fairly regularly and I never, ever thought Trump came across as a good businessman. Ivanka was the only one who ever seemed competent. He basically just deferred to her.

This is not new to anyone with an understanding of political science. Entertainment has never been politically neutral. It’s always painted with the biases of the people who make it ( conciously or not), the people who fund it and it is made to reinforce some kind of societal value. This study shows how those things reflect on the audience and ideas spread.

Clown show long before the apprentice

Now I’m just thinking about fraudulent universities and bad steak sauce and vodka.

It isn’t like you can do anything about it. People could also have researched what a heel Trump was pretty easily, but those who want to worship a bad abusive daddy can rationalize supporting anything and would never bother.

At least people are beginning to see that good businessmen don’t usually have to constantly illegally cheat while loudly proclaiming that they are good businessmen.

An image that was carefully scripted and completely innacurate.