Donald Trump has appointed television producer Mark Burnett as his special envoy to the United Kingdom.
The president-elect shared the news in a Saturday post on TRUTH Social.
“It is my great honor to appoint Mark Burnett as the Special Envoy to the United Kingdom,” Trump wrote. “With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role.”
He continued, “Mark is known for creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History, including Survivor, Shark Tank, The Voice and, most notably, The Apprentice. He is the former Chairman of MGM, and has won 13 Emmy Awards!”
The post concluded, “Mark will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities and cultural exchanges. Congratulations Mark!”
While Trump was running for president in 2016, Burnett shared a statement clarifying his stance on the election as pressure mounted for him to release old tapes featuring the candidate from The Apprentice that may have echoed his comments in the Access Hollywood recordings.
“I am not now and have never been a supporter of Donald Trump’s candidacy,” Burnett said in 2016. “I am NOT ‘Pro-Trump.’ Further, my wife and I reject the hatred, division and misogyny that has been a very unfortunate part of his campaign.”
At the time, the tapes were a hot commodity after The Associated Press claimed that Trump’s behavior on The Apprentice went beyond the Access Hollywood footage. However, MGM lawyers noted that the tapes weren’t Burnett’s to release because the studio owned the show.
“MGM has agreements with artists across a wide spectrum of creative properties, including The Apprentice,” the studio’s then-counsel, Marvin S. Putnam of Latham & Watkins, said in a statement. “These agreements typically contain provisions related to confidentiality and artists’ rights. MGM has every intention of complying with its agreements with artists and honoring their rights, including with respect to The Apprentice.“
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