Gingrich: 'Weird' for Trump to produce 'Celebrity Apprentice' as president

It’s “weird” for Donald Trump to remain executive producer of “The Celebrity Apprentice” while still being president of the United States, House Speaker Newt Gingrich said Friday.

“He doesn't need his name in print. Donald J. Trump is going to be the executive producer of a thing called the American government and he is going have this a huge TV show called leading the world,” Gingrich told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto. He ought to just relax, and give executive producer to Eric or Donald [Jr.] or Ivanka and keep moving forward.”

Gingrich, who was vetted as a potential running mate for Trump, said it is not “relevant” to talk about Trump’s continuing role on the reality TV franchise that helped bring his brand and image to millions of Americans, because it is doubtful Trump will be paid enough money for it to pose a problem.

Variety reported Thursday that Trump will continue to be paid for the show alongside MGM TV President Mark Burnett and new host and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

During the 2016 campaign, Gingirch garnered a reputation for giving blunt advice to Trump in public, said that the enormous task of leading the free world may not have “sunk in totally” with the president-elect.

“I think he is still going through some transition things here where it hasn’t quite sunk in totally,” Gingrich said. “This is the hardest, biggest, secular job in the world. Only the pope rivals it and the pope has a kind of help that Trump can’t count on.”

Trump’s campaign manager Kellyanne Conway scoffed at those who read anything major into the arrangement. Conway said Trump’s continuing relationship with the show is no different than President Obama’s fondness for golf.

“Were we so concerned about the hours and hours and hours spent on the golf course of the current president?” Conway asked during an interview on CNN, who like her boss, regularly criticized the president for the amount of golf he played. “I mean, presidents have a right to do things in their spare time or their leisure time. I mean, nobody objects to that.”

Responding to the comparison, White House principal deputy White House press secretary Eric Schultz said he saw no similarity between Obama working on his golf game and a sitting commander-in-chief having an direct connection to a reality-TV show.

"So I will confess to you I have not asked the president about this today. I'm not quite sure that analogy holds any water," Schultz told reporters during the daily briefing. "But look, that's gonna be a question for [the] president-elect's team and perhaps our friends at NBC to answer how that relationship will work."

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., knocked Trump for continuing with the show earlier Friday and in the same turn not making time to for regular briefings from the intelligence community. During the same CNN interview, the Oregon senator cited reports of Trump skipping regular briefings as a unwise decision.

"I consider it bizarre that the president-elect is reportedly making time for 'The Celebrity Apprentice' show, but not for the traditional intelligence briefings,” Wyden said.