Donald Trump 'Has a Big Stake' in 'The Apprentice,' Will Remain Producer While President

President-elect Donald Trump may have parlayed his reality television show persona into a victory that will put him in the White House, but he's keeping one foot in the show that made him a television star even while he's president.

Although Trump is not starring in the upcoming season of NBC's "The New Celebrity Apprentice," he will remain an executive producer on the show even after he takes the Oval Office next month. The arrangement, which was first reported by Variety, raises questions about NBC's ability to cover him as president while also engaged in a business deal with them.

“Mr. Trump has a big stake in the show and conceived of it with Mark Burnett,” said Hope Hicks, the president-elect’s spokeswoman, referring to his financial agreements with NBC.

Trump launched "The Apprentice" with Burnett in 2004 and for years remained the public face of the show, cementing in the minds of many Americans the relationship between the billionaire and business acumen.

In personal financial disclosure forms released during the campaign season, Trump claimed he was paid more than $213 million during 14 seasons of "The Apprentice."

Senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway on Friday defended the president-elect's decision to remain an executive producer on the show, arguing that "presidents have a right to do things in their spare time."

"He's a very transparent guy. Everyone can see what he's doing, and the fact is that he is conferring with all types of experts who tell him what he can do and not do as president of the United States," Conway told CNN. "If this is one of the approved activities, then perhaps he will consider staying on."

Aside from what Trump may or may not have time for as president, NBC has more questions to answer.

In addition to apparent conflicts of interest in which NBC would both cover Trump as president while engaged in a business deal with him, the media company had claimed it severed ties with then-GOP candidate Trump over controversial statements.

In June 2015, NBCUniversal, under pressure from several Hispanic groups, said it was severing its business ties to Trump.

"At NBC, respect and dignity for all people are cornerstones of our values," the company said in a statement at the time. "Due to the recent derogatory statements by Donald Trump regarding immigrants, NBCUniversal is ending its business relationship with Mr. Trump."

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