Trump challenged on Apprentice ratings, takes credit for celebs’ fame

Donald Trump, Mark Burnett, and most of the remaining cast of Celebrity Apprentice faced TV critics and reporters this morning in Pasadena, and as usual, what came out of Trump’s mouth was even more ridiculous than anything the celebrities could have said. There was an unbelievable amount of ridiculousness. There was also Geraldo.

Here are some highlights of the session; for a fuller recap, read my piece at HitFix:

• Ratings: In front of a room of journalists, Trump actually repeated his claim that the show “is the number one show on television.” He said those words. Then he tried to say that it was among people 18 to 49. Then he conceded that he was referring to Monday nights. But even that isn’t true; it’s not the #1 show Mondays in any measure. He was faced with facts and backed down, kind of, saying “that’s what I was told.” (More on that.)
• Joan Rivers: “Do we leave her or not leave her? We’re doing a show in memorium, essentially,” he said. Again and again, he used her appearance to advertise for Monday’s episode: “We have an unbelievable show coming on Monday, maybe the best we’ve ever had.”
• Celebrity: The most appalling and WTF things Trump said involved claiming credit for cast members’ celebrity. Of course the show can give its cast members publicity. But here’s what he actually said about Joan Rivers: “Her career was not doing well, and now her career, you know, her career went through the roof after Celebrity Apprentice.” It gets better. Here’s Trump on Trace Adkins: “Nobody heard of Trace Adkins when he came on.” Finally, Arsenio Hall: “He went from oblivion to a show back to oblivion.”
• Editing: “We try and listen a little bit when somebody’s unhappy with something,” Trump said, citing an example that made literally no sense: “As far as Terrell Owens and it’s Terrell. They didn’t really put it in, but we grew up watching Terrell Owens. He goes crazy with the name. We didn’t show this too much. Maybe he didn’t want it.” That’s all he said, really. Trump also revealed that editors will excise other content, such as people approached for donations who don’t want to donate or be on TV: “We just leave that out. It’s unfair to put somebody on that doesn’t want to be on, especially when they’ve been called out of the blue, so we leave that out.”
• Geraldo: “I want to do Survivor: Puerto Rico,” Geraldo said. He was apparently kidding, unless Mark Burnett told him where Survivor 31 will be filmed.