The Final Apprentice
A modern-day Kissinger rises as the 'gentler' heir to Trumpism
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Cheers, Tom L.
Without his turn as Donald Trump on The Apprentice it is likely a whole generation of future MAGA voters would have skipped the Manhattan celebrity in 2015, let alone hang with him in 2025.
It’s been a turbulent ride so far.
With apologies to my native Long Island icon Billy Joel, here is a short “We Didn’t Start the Fire” remake of what we’ve seen in the first three months:
DOGE, tariffs, RFK,
Stock market slide, not okay.
Kilmar, CECOT, Roberts Court,
Polling down, no support.
Goldberg, Waltz, Signal fire,
Karoline Leavitt is a liar.
Vance in the Oval, dress up nice,
Prices up, even rice.
Kristi, Tulsi, Pam, Pete,
Serving up the red meat.
Stephen Miller, NSA,
No effing way.
No one crosses Susie Wiles,
They end up as X-Files.
Russia, Ukraine still at war,
I can’t take it anymore …
It’s enough to make you want to look ahead, so let’s do that.
As the political calendar turns toward 2026 and looming lame duck status, Trump has two choices: go all in on challenging the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents or shape his legacy by anointing a successor.
While fighting for a third term is the ultimate troll, the obvious play here is for Trump to run a three-year final season of The Apprentice: MAGA Edition. Trump loves nothing more than Trump, and people who love Trump. Why not bask in that adoration for as long as possible?
Yes, Vice President J.D. Vance appears to have the inside track but … does he? He isn’t exactly out of central casting (beards and eyeliner), and while J.D. got MAGA points for targeting Zelenskyy in the Oval Office, that’s yesterday’s news. He became a meme in Greenland, showed up on Waltz’s Signal chatgroup, and appears to have been sidelined.
So, as it usually is with Trump, the question is who’s next?
For Trump, pitting his subordinates against each other is like managing his own family. It’s not personal; it’s business.
He’s the embodiment of a kinder, gentler, MAGA. If this sounds familiar, you’re as old as I am: It’s Reagan to Bush.
Who is the best play for long-term MAGA supremacy? For the past ten years that name has been Marco Rubio, runner-up for vice president in 2024 but seemingly being given an opportunity in the spotlight.
Consider these facts. In the past three months:
• Rubio was the first cabinet member to take on Musk, opening the door for others, and ultimately helping White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles get her revenge.
• He was tapped to manage USAID and the National Archives and Records Administration in addition to serving as Secretary of State.
• When Waltz was banished to the UN in New York by Wiles, Trump added national security advoser to Rubio’s portfolio, elevating him to a modern-day Henry Kissinger, the last to hold both State and NSA.
Rubio’s plum assignments stand in stark contrast to Vance’s don’t-forget-the-milk, honey-do list. They are also high-profile yet low-risk. Consider what Joe Biden gave did to Kamala Harris: Go fix the border! She was so successful within the constraints of the Biden policy that the 2024 presidential election was partially fought on that failure.
In 2024 MAGA won significant increases with diverse populations including Hispanics. To lock in that vote, why not Rubio for 2028? Trump could be the bridge to a dominant cross-cultural MAGA party as ably described by my friend Patrick Ruffini in Party of the People.
That’s the political business side. How about the personal?
Trump and Rubio have had a reproachment from their 2015 brawl where Trump called him ‘Lil Marco, and Rubio made fun of his small hands, both of which were entertaining. Rubio was the only one to lay a glove on him in the primary, and Trump remembers and respects that. Rubio has come to like Trump, and their Florida connection should not be underestimated (also, they both hate DeSantis).
But the “ice maiden” who you should never, ever, ever, ever, ever, and I mean, ever cross, Wiles, has a good relationship with Rubio. His personality is collaborative and polite, both of which will help soften Trump’s rough edges. He’s the embodiment of a kinder, gentler, MAGA. If this sounds familiar, you’re as old as I am: It’s Reagan to Bush.
The trouble with where Rubio is right now is there’s nowhere to go but down. The New York Times has him pinned as “The Secretary of Everything.” If Time wants crib death for Rubio, they could always proclaim him “The Republican Savior.” Oh, they already did that in 2013. A repeat performance there would hurt him with the boss, who hates the mainstream media but loves being on the cover of that magazine.
Let’s not underplay how much work Rubio would have to do ahead of a run, either.
Right now, Vice President Vance is at 49% for the GOP nomination in 2028. Rubio is way back at 5.1% trailing Kristi Noem (5.2%), RFK (5.9%), and Ron DeSantis (9.8%). The only one who is also in double-figures is Donald Trump Jr. (18.5%).
Still, we’re dealing with the OG Donald J. Trump, here. He will want an open primary once he loses his test of the 22nd Amendment, which he will say is a great victory for the American people because, like Obama’s birth certificate, it was unclear before he took us down the rabbit hole.
It’ll be the biggest, most beautiful, contest for the American presidency ever, and Trump will be right where he wants to be, the main character, even if it’s someone else’s show.
It might be The Final Apprentice election, but the lead will be the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
is the author of the book Modern Political Campaigns, president of Cohen Research Group and a 30-year veteran of the polling industry. He writes The Level regularly for 24sight News, analyzing polling and campaign trends with a keen eye and level-headed approach.