Apprentice in Wonderland

Ramin Setoodeh is Variety's co-editor in chief and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View." In 2018, Setoodeh was named entertainment journalist of the year by the Los Angeles Press Club. He previously worked as a senior writer for Newsweek and the Daily Beast. He lives in New York.

“[A] witty, dogged and often sobering analysis of the “Apprentice” franchise and Trump . . . . What’s fascinating here is how effectively Setoodeh demonstrates that Trump is still drunk on celebrity nostalgia . . . . In the end, Apprentice in Wonderland does the impossible: It makes me pity Donald Trump.” — Ron Charles, The Washington Post“For his deeply reported and revealing look at the pivotal moment in the former President’s career, Setoodeh interviewed Trump six times between 2021 and 2023 and talked to a wide swathe of the industry professionals and celebrities all circling the show’s orbit.” — Rolling Stone“The journalist who has interviewed Donald Trump more than any other since Trump left office isn’t Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, or that guy who’s dating Marjorie Taylor Greene. It’s Ramin Setoodeh . . . . What Setoodeh instantly found most remarkable was how obsessive Trump himself was about the show and how eager he was to talk about it: Setoodeh would end up doing six interviews with Trump about The Apprentice, interviews that typically went for hours with Trump watching and narrating old clips deep into the night.” — Will Leitch, New York Magazine“[Ramin Setoodeh’s] new book explores the twisted alliances, nutty gambles, and reality TV distortions that—for better or much, much worse—brought Donald Trump roaring back into the public eye.” — Vanity Fair“A new book about The Apprentice reveals how the 45th president was shaped by tawdry reality-TV culture.” — McKay Coppins, The Atlantic“Apprentice in Wonderland, examines the reality TV rise of the man who went on to be 45th president and the cultural impact of the show—with plenty of celebrity anecdotes along the way.” — New York Post