The Apprentice
A biopic focusing on Donald Trump’s formative years, is set for a highly contentious release on October 11, strategically timed just weeks before the pivotal presidential election. This film, directed by Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi and written by veteran journalist Gabriel Sherman, stars Sebastian Stan in the role of a young Donald Trump and Jeremy Strong as his influential mentor, Roy Cohn. The movie has already sparked significant debate and controversy, primarily due to its provocative portrayal of Trump and a dramatized scene involving an alleged assault on his first wife, Ivana, portrayed by Maria Bakalova.
Briarcliff Entertainment, a distributor known for handling politically charged projects such as Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 11/9 and Liam Neeson’s Memory, acquired the film earlier this year. The distributor plans a brief festival run followed by an extensive awards campaign leading up to the film’s theatrical release. This timing appears to be strategically aligned with the pre-election climate, potentially amplifying the film’s political impact and ensuring it captures the attention of both critics and voters.
The film’s release has been marred by legal disputes, including a cease-and-desist order issued by Trump’s legal team, who have denounced the film as “malicious defamation.” This legal challenge is compounded by Trump’s ongoing hush money trial, which features Stormy Daniels’ testimony as a central element. Daniels has detailed her relationship with Trump and the alleged hush money payments made to her in advance of the 2016 election. The testimony has led to intense courtroom drama, with Trump’s attorney, Susan Necheles, accusing Daniels of exaggerating her claims and creating undue prejudice against the former president.
Trump’s political rival
In contrast, Trump’s political rival, Democratic President Joe Biden, continues to actively engage with voters, highlighting the distraction posed by the ongoing trial to Trump’s campaign efforts. While Trump has been occupied with his legal battles, Biden has been focusing on public engagements, including a Holocaust remembrance ceremony where he condemned antisemitism. This divergence underscores how Trump’s legal troubles have significantly impacted his campaign activities.
Trump’s legal team has argued that Daniels’ testimony is not only prejudicial but also irrelevant to the core issues of the case. Despite these arguments, the court has rejected the defense’s requests for a mistrial. As the trial progresses, Trump’s legal team faces the challenge of addressing the impact of Daniels’ testimony on the case and his campaign.
The film’s intersection with Trump’s political and legal issues highlights the complex dynamics between media portrayals, political strategy, and legal challenges. As The Apprentice gears up for its release, its timing and content are likely to influence public perception and add to the ongoing debate surrounding Trump’s legacy and the broader political landscape.
About CAPS and IRSEM
The Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’analyse, de prévision et de stratégie), commonly known as CAPS, was established in 1973 and operates under the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. CAPS is comprised of approximately twenty experts, including diplomats and academics, who focus on producing interdisciplinary and forward-looking analyses of international developments. The staff’s work is aimed at providing insightful foreign policy recommendations and strategic options, drawing on its own analysis as well as interactions with think tanks and academic research in the field of international relations.
The Institute for Strategic Research (Institut de recherche stratégique de l’École militaire), known as IRSEM, was founded in 2009 and serves as the research institute for the French Ministry for the Armed Forces. With a team of around forty individuals, including both civilians and military personnel holding doctoral degrees, IRSEM’s primary mission is to advance French research on defense and security issues. The institute conducts research to support the Ministry, fosters the development of a new generation of researchers, contributes to higher military education, and engages in public debate on strategic matters related to defense and security.
CAPS and IRSEM produce independent analyses that are not considered official positions. The opinions expressed in their reports are solely those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the French government or its ministries.
To cite this report: J.-B. Jeangène Vilmer, A. Escorcia, M. Guillaume, J. Herrera, Information Manipulation: A Challenge for Our Democracies, report by the Policy Planning Staff (CAPS) of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM) of the Ministry for the Armed Forces, Paris, August 2018.
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