Trump biographer compares GOP endorsements to 'The Apprentice' as 'a sad scramble of people behaving like crabs in a bucket to be lifted out by him'

A Trump biographer compared the former president's 2022 endorsements to his TV show "The Apprentice."
"What was 'The Apprentice' but a sad scramble of people behaving like crabs in a bucket to be lifted out by him?"
Trump has endorsed around 140 candidates in the midterm elections this year.

Former President Donald Trump's endorsements for Republican candidates in the 2022 midterms bear a resemblance to his old reality TV show, "The Apprentice," according to a Trump biographer.

"What was 'The Apprentice' but a sad scramble of people behaving like crabs in a bucket to be lifted out by him?" biographer Michael D'Antonio told the New York Times in a report published Monday.

"How are these people anything other than contestants vying for his approval?" D'Antonio added.

D'Antonio, a longtime journalist and author, wrote the 2015 biography "The Truth About Trump." His observation comes as Trump has held a slew of fundraisers and events for Republicans running in this year's midterm elections at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida. The former president has endorsed around 140 candidates for 2022, displaying his lasting influence in the Republican Party.

Recently, Republicans had been vying for Trump's endorsement in contested, high-profile primary races for Ohio and Pennsylvania Senate seats. In Pennsylvania, Trump initially backed Sean Parnell, an Army veteran who later suspended his campaign after a judge awarded his wife sole legal custody of the couple's three children. Parnell denied allegations of physical abuse against his wife and children. Earlier this month, Trump threw his support behind Dr. Mehmet Oz, a TV personality and political newcomer. Parnell criticized Trump's decision on Twitter.

In Ohio, Trump endorsed "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, despite his advisors pushing for him to support other candidates in the race.

Trump's track record has been mixed, but candidates can see a double-digit polling bump in the aftermath of his endorsement, particularly in more local races. While Trump endorsements are highly coveted in GOP primaries, the former president has yet to prove that backing a candidate can tip the scales in a competitive general election.

There have also been instances where Trump's endorsement has consolidated support behind a candidate in a GOP primary only for them to prove themselves a liability in the general. In late 2017, Trump endorsed Alabama Senate GOP candidate Roy Moore, who faced sexual misconduct allegations from multiple women. Moore ended up losing to Democrat Doug Jones.

Trump, a real estate mogul, hosted his reality television show, "The Apprentice," from 2004 to 2017. The show centered on people competing for a spot to become an "apprentice" at one of Trump's properties, and popularized his catchphrase, "You're fired!"

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