Trump taps ‘Apprentice’ producer, Mark Burnett, as special envoy to the United Kingdom

Trump taps ‘Apprentice’ producer, Mark Burnett, as special envoy to the United Kingdom


Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with “The Apprentice,” is being tapped by the president-elect as special envoy to the United Kingdom in his upcoming administration.

“With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role,” Trump announced Saturday.

Burnett, who was born in London, helped produce hits like “Survivor” and “The Voice,” but is perhaps best known for teaming up with Trump for “The Apprentice,” which first aired on NBC in 2004.

Trump had been well-known in real estate and pop culture circles for decades. But the show helped again make him a household name — though Trump severed ties with NBC in 2015, the same year he launched his first White House run.

The selection of Burnett continues Trump’s trend of filling out his incoming administration with people who have high-profile backgrounds in television or politics, or both — including his choice to be defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” and ex-television doctor and unsuccessful Senate candidate in Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz.

Trump’s first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on “The Apprentice” and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star.”

Almost a decade after he left his reality TV role, Trump’s television career remains central to his biography and political rise. The show presented Trump Tower to tens of millions of people as a symbol of power and success before Trump launched his first campaign from the building’s lobby.

“Mark is known for creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History,” Trump wrote in his statement on Burnett, listing many of his biggest hits before adding, “most notably, ‘The Apprentice'” and noting that Burnett “has won 13 Emmy Awards!”

Special envoys are usually picked by presidents for the world’s traditional hotspots, including the Middle East — where Trump has already said he’d like Steven Witkoff to fill the role. The United Kingdom, which has long enjoyed a “special relationship” with the U.S. that makes it one of Washington’s strongest global allies, is not typically a candidate for such posts.

But Trump has announced a series of special envoy positions to several top loyalists ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, including his former ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell who he chose as envoy for special missions. That announcement joined previous ones including Adam Boehler as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, and Keith Kellogg to serve as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia.

The president-elect said Burnett “will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges.”



Source

Japan rice crisis shows signs of easing as prices stabilize and stocks return to shelves
World

Japan rice crisis shows signs of easing as prices stabilize and stocks return to shelves

A worker puts konbu sea weed on rice on the riceball production line at the processing factory of Fuji Foods Co., in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan, on Friday, Jan. 26, 2024. Riceballs are one of the 7-Eleven Japan’s most important products, with more than 2 billion sold each year. Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg […]

Read More
China urges Beijing-backed development bank to focus more on Belt and Road Initiative
World

China urges Beijing-backed development bank to focus more on Belt and Road Initiative

Chinese Premier Li Qiang spoke at the opening ceremony of the ASEAN-China-GCC Economic Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on May 27, 2025. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images BEIJING — Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday urged the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank to increase its support for Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative. “I hope […]

Read More
CNBC Daily Open: Despite all the uncertainty, the S&P 500 is flirting with record highs — strange times
World

CNBC Daily Open: Despite all the uncertainty, the S&P 500 is flirting with record highs — strange times

Traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., June 23, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Have we gone back in time? It certainly seems on the markets front. Just look at the S&P 500 and you will think that it’s back in February — before U.S. […]

Read More