Donald Trump teases early retirement as he floats idea of swapping presidency for full time hosting gig
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Truth Social, Celebrity, US News
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, Truth Social, Celebrity, US News
Donald Trump has teased potentially stepping away from his role as president to pursue a full-time hosting gig instead.
The 79 year old Republican, who is currently serving his second term in the White House, floated the possibility of the idea on Tuesday (23 December), as he asked his followers whether they would support such a move.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump asked his followers if he should leave the presidency and make hosting a full-time job, after he was asked to host the upcoming Trump Kennedy Honours, which air at 8pm EST this evening and honor stars such as Sylvester Stallone, Michael Crawford, KISS, George Strait, and Gloria Gaynor.
He wrote: “THE TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER HONORS will be broadcast tonight, on CBS, and Stream on Paramount+. Tune in at 8 P.M. EST!”
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“At the request of the Board, and just about everybody else in America, I am hosting the event. Tell me what you think of my “Master of Ceremony” abilities. If really good, would you like me to leave the Presidency in order to make 'hosting' a full time job?”
While it’s not entirely clear if the president is serious about stepping down to pursue a celebrity career, or if he is simply teasing his fanbase, it wouldn’t be the first time Trump has stepped into the limelight, as 2025 marks ten years since he stepped away from hosting The Apprentice.
The entrepreneurial series, which ran from 2004 until 2015 with Trump at the helm, was credited for having helped to boost his star status ahead of the 2016 election, with his time on the popular show having catapulted him from a businessman to a household name.
“In the show, he appeared to demonstrate impeccable business instincts and unparalleled wealth, even though his businesses had barely survived multiple bankruptcies and faced yet another when he was cast,” an article from Slate noted at the time.
However, during his initial presidential campaign, Trump was let go from The Apprentice after he made a series of comments regarding Mexican immigrants that didn’t align with network NBC’s views.
His role hosting Tuesday night’s honors has also proved to be a polarising subject, particularly as it is being held at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, something which relatives of the late JFK have strongly opposed.
The center had originally been named the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and is located in Washington, D.C and stands as a tribute to the former president, who was assassinated in 1963.
The center’s board voted unanimously on December 18 to rename the building to include Donald Trump’s name, as well as Kennedy’s, so it will be officially known as the Trump-Kennedy Center.
However, family members of the late president have been vocal about their distaste for the change.
Joe Kennedy III, JFK’s grandnephew, said: “The Kennedy Center is a living memorial to a fallen president and named for President Kennedy by federal law. It can no sooner be renamed than can someone rename the Lincoln Memorial, no matter what anyone says. “