Donald Trump certainly knows how to lead a boardroom, but can he lead from the Oval Office? Former Celebrity Apprentice contestants (including Brandi Glanville, Ian Ziering, Stephen Baldwin and others) share their thoughts in the new issue of Us Weekly about why the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination will — or won’t — be getting their votes in the 2016 election!
Trump for President
The controversial business magnate, 69, has made numerous headlines for his shocking statements on topics ranging from immigration to national security and more since he announced his candidacy in June.
While some might find his opinions offensive, he’s certainly got celebrity supporters.
“Yes, I would absolutely vote for Trump because I find it refreshing, like many others, that he is changing the game. I believe he can be the kind of presidential quarterback that will assemble the right team around him to enable him and support him to make certain audible calls that I think will have an extremely positive effect on our country,” Stephen Baldwin, who appeared on the first season of Celebrity Apprentice, tells Us.
“I love Trump because he says things the wrong way sometimes. It’s refreshing again to me that he doesn’t try to be this perfect politician. What he said about Mexicans was wrong, but boy it sure did open up that topic for discussion in a major way," he adds. "What he just said about Muslims, I would have to say he probably again didn’t say it the right way, but boy, it sure has opened up that topic for Americans to start voicing their opinion of how it should be handled.”
(Need a reminder? The presidential hopeful said earlier in December after the deadly Paris and California attacks that there should be a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.”)
Lou Ferrigno, who competed in season 5, tells Us of the candidate, “Yes, I do believe in Trump and vote for him! From my experience on Celebrity Apprentice, I found Donald to be a strong, fierce person with strong morals and foundation! He believes in saving our country and making it stronger and safer against terrorism. We need a leader who has guts to bring back the American way! Our country was built on guns and freedom of speech! He is also very fair in actual dealings despite the rhetoric.”
Dump Trump
While the real-estate mogul certainly has his celeb supporters, other famous faces who’ve competed on the reality show don’t want their former boss running the country.
George Takei of season 5 is worried about what President Trump might mean for the country. “I cannot support Mr. Trump’s positions or his candidacy. In the course of his campaign, he has stoked the public’s fears of terrorism to a near frenzy, all too willing to sacrifice basic civil liberties in the name of security,” he tells Us.
“When pressed, he even said he might have supported the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II," the former Star Trek star adds. "I’ve since invited him to see my Broadway show Allegiance, to see if my own life experiences in the camps might change his mind. He hasn’t accepted my invite, but I’m holding a seat open for him, every night.”
While Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville is a fan of the GOP front-runner’s honesty, she doesn’t want him holding the highest office. “Politics has never been more entertaining and I just love D.T.’s unapologetic attitude because I think we, as a society, have become hypersensitive,” says the season 7 contestant. “That said, I am a Democrat and will vote accordingly — but I also would be scared to have Trump’s reactive nature in charge of the nuclear-bomb button.”
Season 5's Penn Jillette is also firmly in the "no" camp: “I’m not sure we know what he actually thinks. But he sure is good at convincing people otherwise!"
Too Soon to Know
Hey, there’s still another 11 months to decide!
“I think he’s a very capable individual. Whether I’ll vote for him or not I’m going to say that until it’s time to vote. I want to hear from all of the candidates. There’s still a lot of time so I really want their messages to resonate with me before I make a very important decision,” Ian Ziering, who participated in season 7, explains to Us. “But whether you agree with the things he said or not, he’s certainly a very capable individual. He’s done tremendous things in Manhattan and proved his leadership ability. Will he be president? That remains to be seen.”
To find out whether Dennis Rodman, Lou Ferrigno, Vivica A. Fox and other former Celeb Apprentice contestants would vote for Trump, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now!
