The early years of Donald Trump's life as a businessman are explored in The Apprentice cast is led by Sebastian Stan (MCU, Pam & Tommy) and Jeremy Strong (Succession, The Big Short).

Following controversy surrounding The Apprentice, the film is finally out in theaters. The movie sees Donald Trump's humanity falter as his business savvy grows under the tutelage of the cutthroat Roy Cohn. After some time jumps, Trump begins to ignore Cohn's business advice, continuing to buy property in New York and Atlantic City, beginning new business ventures he lacks capital for. Roy Cohn continues to grow frustrated with Trump while also suffering from AIDS, leading to him eventually ing away. Meanwhile, Trump's other personal relationships start to falter as he focuses on his business empire.

What Donald Trump’s Closing Monologue & 3 Rules For Success Really Mean

Donald Trump Has Stolen Roy Cohn's Rules

The Apprentice movie ends with Donald Trump speaking to Tony Schwartz, the man who ghostwrote Trump: The Art of the Deal. Schwartz interviews Trump about various aspects of his life, with Trump explaining his ion and purpose in life. He explains that deals and business aren't a means to an end for him, but rather the general thrill of his life. He's become consumed by the act of "winning" and describes making deals as an art form, citing three major rules of his success:

1. Always be on the attack.
2. Never it wrongdoing; the truth is what you make it.
3. Always claim victory, even when defeated.

Of course, these are the exact same rules described earlier in the film by Roy Cohn, though Trump has now taken the knowledge and has begun ing them off as his own. The most crucial aspect of the ending is that Trump claims one must be born with the killer instinct, hiding the impact Roy Cohn had on developing him into the man he'd become. He's essentially taken everything Cohn has taught him and embraced it to the fullest, denying the existence of any part of him that was ever "weak."

Why Donald Trump Gets Surgery At The End Of The Apprentice

Donald Trump Fully Transforms Into A Monster

Another major, controversial scene at the end of The Apprentice shows Donald Trump receiving liposuction to reduce fat in his stomach and surgery to cover up a bald spot on his head. The perception of physical appearance is a crucial aspect of character development in the film, with Trump comparing himself to Robert Redford on multiple occasions. This scene demonstrates what is essentially the final stage in the creation of a monster, with excruciating detail shown to create a Frankenstein's monster-like parallel as his last bit of humanity is metaphorically removed.

How Roy Cohn Died In The Apprentice’s Ending

Roy Cohn Suffered From AIDS Before Dying In 1986

Despite Roy Cohn's consistent homophobia throughout The Apprentice, the prosecutor is shown at one point to be partaking in an entirely male orgy, which Donald Trump walks in on. Cohn, along with his lover, Russell, develops AIDS but hides the matter publicly, claiming instead to have cancer, hoping to conceal his homosexuality. Despite Trump losing interest in Cohn over time, he tried to draw out legal advice from him one last time, throwing him an awkward birthday party in Florida shortly before Cohn's death due to AIDS in 1986.

How Donald Trump Deals With His Past In The Apprentice

Trump Sees His Family & Past As Weakness To Ignore

Donald Trump's family life is a critical aspect of his character development in The Apprentice. Trump's relationship with his father and older brother grows more complex throughout the biopic, as Trump's rise to power makes him rather vindictive toward his father and unforgiving toward his struggling brother. Trump's father, Fred Trump, laid the foundation for their real-estate business, but his harsh behavior is portrayed as something Donald is highly resentful of. In a different sense, Donald doesn't express much sympathy for his brother's struggles with addiction, instead seeing Fred Trump Jr. as being weak.

In a crucial scene following Fred Jr.'s death, Donald Trump is shown to begin crying but tries to put off his emotions, seeing them as a sign of weakness, despite Ivana inviting him to express his sorrows. Donald also tries to trick his barely cogent, aging father into g papers that would harm the rest of their family, showing little regard for the man who essentially launched his career. When asked about his tough upbringing, Trump claims that he's not interested in talking about the past. Donald Trump sees his family as a weakness to put behind him.

What The Apprentice’s Director Has Said About His Portrayal Of Donald Trump

Ali Abbasi Claims The Apprentice Isn't A Take-down Of Donald Trump

Despite some massively controversial scenes, Ali Abbasi has maintained that his portrayal of Donald Trump isn't a take-down. Following the movie's premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Abbasi stated, "I don't necessarily think that this is a movie he would dislike," referring to the former president (via Variety). Following the Trump Campaign's harsh response to the movie (via Variety), Abbasi personally offered to screen The Apprentice for Trump, hoping to discuss his interpretation with him.

What Donald Trump Has Said About The Apprentice

The Former President's Team Has Declared The Movie As "Garbage"

Despite some harsh responses from Trump's campaign about The Apprentice, the former president hasn't made any personal statements about Sebastian Stan's portrayal. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung spoke regarding the contents of Abbasi's film, saying, "This garbage is pure fiction which sensationalizes lies that have been long debunked." Donald Trump himself hasn't made any comment, and there's no information that suggests he's even seen the movie.

The Real Meaning Of The Apprentice’s Ending

As he acquires more wealth, power, and notoriety, Donald Trump loses any semblance of love and respect for everyone in his life except for himself, ultimately becoming a monster.

As much as The Apprentice is a biopic about Donald Trump, it's also a broader exploration of the cycle of power and corruption in America. Donald Trump's life and connection to Roy Cohn are crucial to the movie, but they also serve as a representation of more generalized archetypes of the wealthy elite and the "winners and losers" form of thinking in American capitalism. Roy Cohn essentially teaches Trump to abandon emotion and feeling in order to win, but the film explores how both men were still ultimately human, despite their best efforts not to be.

In an interview with The New York Times, actor Jeremy Strong states, "We're trying to hold a mirror up to this world and these individuals and try to understand how we got here." The Apprentice isn't an oversimplified take-down of Donald Trump; it's a film about how the corruption of high-end business culture and the acquisition of power rids a person of their humanity. As he acquires more wealth, power, and notoriety, Donald Trump loses any semblance of love and respect for everyone in his life except for himself, ultimately becoming a monster.

Sources: Variety, The New York Times