The Slatest

Donald Trump Says He’s a “Skin Man” in Yucky Leaked Apprentice Transcript

Singer Emily West at the Country Music Awards on April 18, 2010, in Las Vegas.

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

There is, presumably, a mother lode of outtake footage out there somewhere of Donald Trump acting like Donald Trump. On Monday, the Huffington Post unearthed a transcript (but not the video) of Trump during the ninth season of his reality show, The Apprentice, that is not as profoundly disturbing as the recently released 2005 video of Trump conversing with locker room creep Billy Bush, but is pretty yucky in its own right. Phrases that came out of Trump’s mouth include: “skin man” and “I am, as you probably heard, not a gay man…”

The context for the comments and the “Beauty and Brains” episode, which aired in 2010, is “[c]ontestants were tasked with making over a country music star before presenting them to three music industry insiders,” according to HuffPo. “They improved the star’s interviewing skills, produced promotional packets and helped them prepare for live radio shows and performances.” The two teams were charged with revamping performers Emily West and Luke Bryan.

As each team of Apprentice contestants made their case for their singer to a panel of judges, Trump became preoccupied with Emily West’s appearance, particularly her skin. From Huffington Post:

“I assume you’re gonna leave this off, don’t put this shit on the show, you know. But her skin, her skin sucks, okay?” he says, according to the transcript. “I mean her skin, she needs some serious fuckin’ dermatology.” Cyndi Lauper, who headed the team that managed West, interjected to explain that they used “dry stuff” ― presumably, makeup ― and said Trump was objecting to something that was “not her skin.” But he remained unimpressed. “Fuck,” he proclaimed. “That’s Emily, that’s what I’m hearing about? Let me see the other one. I assume you’re not putting this on the show. ‘Cause I don’t wanna destroy the kid’s career.”

“Personally, I am, as you probably heard, not a gay man, but I think he’s better looking that [sic] Emily okay?” Trump said of Bryan at one point. Trump also asked Trace Adkins, the country music star who served as a guest judge on the show, what he thought about brochures that each team produced. “Well I um, I, I think the one they did for Emily is a little more polished looking,” Adkins said. “You’re obviously not a skin man,” Trump said. He later reiterated the point, pounded the table and said, “which is okay.” He added, “I wish I wasn’t.”

Donald Trump, “not gay” “skin man.” Gross.