In his upcoming administration, the president-elect has appointed Mark Burnett, the power producer who helped reintroduce Donald Trump to a national television audience with “The Apprentice,” as a special envoy to the United Kingdom.
“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.
Born in London, Burnett produced popular shows like “Survivor” and “The Voice,” but he is most known for working with Trump on “The Apprentice,” which debuted on NBC in 2004.
For decades, Trump was well-known in pop culture and real estate circles. Even though Trump broke off his relationship with NBC in 2015, the year he started his first campaign for the presidency, the show helped him become well-known once more.
Burnett’s appointment follows Trump’s practice of appointing members of his incoming administration who have prominent backgrounds in politics, television, or both. One such example is his choice for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend,” a former television physician, and a failed Pennsylvania Senate candidate.
Allegations concerning Trump’s behavior on “The Apprentice” and other appearances during his affiliation with NBC, particularly in video where he claimed he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star,” shook his first campaign in 2016.
Trump’s television career continues to play a significant role in his biography and political ascent, nearly ten years after he left his reality TV position. Before Trump launched his first campaign from the lobby of the Trump Tower, the show introduced the building to tens of millions of viewers as a representation of success and power.
“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!”
Trump has previously stated that he would prefer Steven Witkoff to serve as the Middle East’s special envoy, a position typically held by presidents. Mark Burnett will serve in this capacity.
Usually, the United Kingdom is not considered for such positions, despite having a “special relationship” with the United States that has made it one of Washington’s most powerful allies in the world.
But ahead of January 20th, Inauguration Day, Trump has named a number of high-ranking loyalists to special envoy posts, including Richard Grenell, his former ambassador to Germany, whom he appointed to special missions.
This announcement followed others such as the appointment of Keith Kellogg as special envoy for Russia and Ukraine and Adam Boehler as special presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
Trump previously declared on December 2 that he would appoint Warren Stephens, a billionaire investment banker, to the more conventional position of U.S. ambassador to Britain. The president-elect stated in his statement that Burnett “will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges.” However, that may raise concerns about how a special U.K. envoy could overlap duties.
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