The Reality TV Presidency
- Himani Harrell
- Mar 21
- 6 min read
We’re Fired.
When Donald Trump first ran for president in 2016, many Americans saw him as the ultimate outsider. From businessman to reality TV star, he promised to "drain the swamp" and shake up the political establishment.
Yet, as we approach the possibility of his second term, it seems we have stumbled into another season of The Apprentice. The constant catchphrases, the endless drama, and the fascination with spectacle are all present; but the stakes are astronomically greater this time.
The Trump presidency transcends the realm of a simple reality show; it is an actual reality that influences every facet of American life. It's time to get a reality check. His presidency, particularly in its second term, has increasingly embodied the shallow and brutal values of The Apprentice, in which public persona and theatrics take precedence over meaningful policy.
Trump's governance style, more intent on "winning" the game and maintaining his brand, is subverting the country's founding principles. His mercurial leadership–which is akin to that of a TV producer fixated on ratings– threatens to compromise the country's stability and international reputation.
To many people, the Donald Trump presidency seems like an extension of his run on The Apprentice. Audiences saw Trump continually say his signature phrase: "You're fired," as contestants were eliminated with a ruthless sense of permanence.
Now, as president, firing seems like a recurring theme — involving not just cabinet members and advisors but also top officials. Boardroom politics are acted out on Twitter [X], with decisions that are as abrupt, public, and arbitrary as the firings we witness on The Apprentice.
The reliance on spectacle is a hallmark of Trump's leadership style. In his second term, one can envision the persistence of chaotic decisions and unconventional moves. Trump has continuously demonstrated insufficient concern for competent leadership in preference for sycophants and loyalists.
The negative culture of valuing loyalty above all else is also akin to The Apprentice's rewarding of contestants who could manage to perform well on camera, rather than those who could actually deliver value.
When Trump selects individuals based more on their capacity to offer sycophancy rather than qualification, it not only undermines the credibility of his administration but that of the government of the entire nation.
The "You're fired" culture, as Trump made famous, has been put into practice across the board—from the mass firing of top-level government officials to the piecemeal reduction of vital governmental positions. The volatility that this creates destabilizes the United States at its core, making it even harder to solve the serious problems that face us.
While Trump's reality television persona is characterized by firing people, his presidency has also demonstrated a similar efficiency in cutting key positions in the government. These reductions—made either for political purposes or merely as a means of reducing government—have had sweeping consequences on the operational capacity of the nation.
One of the most striking examples is Trump's repeated efforts to shrink and undermine regulatory agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
These agencies play critical roles in protecting the American public — from regulating food safety to handling health crises and environmental threats. Through reductions in personnel, resources, and budgetary appropriations, Trump has effectively weakened these agencies' capacity to fulfill their fundamental responsibilities.
For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had its budget drastically reduced, thereby crippling its efficiency in enforcing crucial environmental protections.
The reduction of diplomatic positions by Trump is also concerning. The State Department, which oversees America's foreign affairs, has been subjected to huge reductions in personnel. The loss of career diplomats and foreign service officers diminishes the country's ability to negotiate effectively on the global stage.
Diplomacy is a skill that takes finesse, and losing the experience necessary for international dialogue could have long-lasting consequences for America's foreign relations. Analysts have warned Trump's cuts at the State Department have caused an acute diplomatic shortage, which can damage American sway globally.
The reductions do not stop there. In public health, Trump's teardown of programs that deliver critical services to the most vulnerable — whether health care, social services, or education — hurts the individuals who rely on these crucial systems. The suggested reductions to social safety nets such as Medicaid and housing programs have left millions of Americans in jeopardy.
Reducing government jobs at a glance may look like an innocuous attempt at "cutting the fat" or trimming down government. However, the reality is that such jobs are the backbone of the country.
It is the regulatory agencies that guarantee products are safe, protect the environment, and maintain public health. With no expertise available, such agencies cannot deal with emergencies as effectively or deter probable disasters.
For example, the CDC had been underfunded for years before the COVID-19 pandemic, which stifled its ability to respond nimbly to the global health crisis.
Diplomats who work in the State Department maintain and build relations with other nations, thereby guaranteeing trade agreements, treaties, and foreign policy programs are executed effectively.
When seasoned diplomats are substituted with political appointees who lack experience, the nation stands to make blunders in foreign relations, which can result in expensive errors on the international scene. Trump's failure to fill key diplomatic positions for months or even years further isolates the United States and strains alliances.
The cuts to public health jobs are dangerous. If the government is understaffed at key agencies like the CDC or the FDA, it makes it that much harder to deal with health emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, and to police the pharmaceutical industry. Public health is a complex, long-term commitment that requires the dedication of skilled professionals who work behind the scenes. The removal of these jobs is akin to dismantling the vital infrastructure that protects the American people from danger.
Trump's governing style is very much like a reality TV show, where the drama will overshadow substance. In The Apprentice, the boardroom drama was the focal point — it attracted viewers.
Now in the White House, Trump has been employing much of the same tactics: dividing, conflict, and keeping the drama high to hold the public's attention. Think, for example, of the present debates on issues like immigration, healthcare, and infrastructure. Rather than providing thoughtful policy proposals aimed at addressing these issues, Trump usually resorts to sensational and divisive actions.
His very public feuds with prominent lawmakers and administrators and his incendiary rhetoric on issues such as immigration have the effect of diverting attention from the important tasks at hand. Trump's relentless denunciations of the press, political foes, and even fellow party members are hallmarks of a leadership style that flourishes in turmoil.
Actually, his survival strategy in power appears to be less about solving actual problems and more about keeping the media cycle on his name. Sadly, this is a bit reminiscent of the manipulative tactics on The Apprentice, where keeping things tense was prioritized more than actually achieving anything meaningful.
A reality television-driven presidency not only tarnishes the presidency itself but undermines public faith in government institutions. If politics is presented as entertainment, then it is simple for citizens to become disillusioned.
Rather than turning to elected officials for counsel, many Americans are drawn to being captivated by the newest salacious unfolding drama, waiting for the next set of shocking headlines. This spectacle generates a disconnection between the public and the institutions that are supposed to be working in their interest.
Trump's permanent presence in the media, coupled with his proclivity for generating spectacle, overshadows the actual work of governance, plunging the nation into an endless cycle of crisis and distraction.
In addition, rules by the genre of reality television do not permit the cultivation of expertise that is required. Positions that call for experience, knowledge, and long-term commitment are viewed as expendable, with the holders of such positions frequently being exchanged for loyalty or political expediency.
This practice defies the fundamental principles of democratic governance. In public service, it is not loyalty but rather expertise that must be the guiding principle.
America's reality TV presidency, as entertaining as it is, is an unfit way to run a country. Trump's second term has made apparent the danger of prioritizing spectacle over substance. Cuts to vital jobs, an obsession with drama, and a leadership style based on chaos instead of competence are threatening the country's stability.
Trump’s due for a reality check. We require a government that is interested in addressing actual problems, not a government that is more concerned with making sound bites for the evening news.
The American public deserves more than drama; they deserve a leader who is aware of the gravity of the office and the repercussions of their actions. As we move forward, it is important to realize that the stakes with the presidency are too high to treat it like a reality show. It is not a mundane activity, and American citizens deserve leaders who put their interests above keeping up appearances.
Sources:
[4]-https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/14/nx-s1-5297913/cdc-layoffs-hhs-trump-doge
Photo Credit:
[Header]: NBC
[Embedded 1]: The Apprentice
[Embedded 2]: ACLU
Comments