WHAT would the Trump Tower be without the Trump? Or New York without The Donald, for that matter?
More flat — for one thing.
But if New York’s governor doesn’t kill the proposed millionaires’ tax, TV’s toughest rich guy is going to take this town and shove it.
Presumably, he won’t take his show with him. But he is making noises.
In fact, Donald Trump had just gotten off the phone with Gov. Paterson when we called — and got an earful about the earful he’d laid on the governor.
“It’s very dangerous, what’s going on in Albany,” he ranted. “Rich people are going to leave this state — why should they pay New York State taxes on money they made out of state?”
Will he be leading the parade out of town?
“No comment,” he seethed, “And you know what that means!”
“I told the governor, everyone is going to move to Palm Beach, the nicest place in the world, where there is no income tax!”
But if you believe that he’d really move his empire and, more importantly, his board room to Palm Beach, then you probably believe his hair is naturally y-or ange.
The Donald is New York, for one thing, and for another, the man does exaggerate.
However, exaggeration aside, his show, “Celebrity Apprentice,” finally caught fire last week. The ratings were way up and the celebs weren’t out trying to sell cupcakes anymore — but trading places with hotel waiters and limo drivers. Great stuff.
Apparently, the network thinks so, too. “NBC actually is thinking of doing “The Apprentice,” and “Celebrity Apprentice” together in one season,” he boasted.
Bringing back the original “Apprentice” would make sense because, since its absence from American TV, it has developed world-wide appeal.
“We’re already on in 100 countries!” Trump boasted. Right. The truth is closer to 75 — 50 countries airing Trump repeats and 25 countries producing their own brand-new versions, with their own Donalds. (Trump and Mark Burnett own the franchise.)
The Japanese version has a female Donald, and the English version has a noble — Sir Alan Sugar — who has become the biggest sensation on Brit TV since Simon Cowell.
Not that The Donald’s impressed. “He does OK,” Trump sniffed.
Hey — anyone can become a “Sir.” Not everyone can become a “The,” right?
Hard to imagine, but “The” is not just a father of five now, including baby Barron, nearly 2, but he’s a grandpa of two thanks to his son Donald Jr. and wife Vanessa.
There’s Kai (almost 2) and Donald Trump III, a month and a half.
The Donald has mixed feelings about the whole thing.
“Egh, I don’t like being called ‘grandpa,’ ” he grumbles. “But whether I like it or not, that’s what I am.”
Clearly, grandparenting isn’t going to replace moguling as his favorite activity, so Trump switched the talk right back to the real estate market. “It’s a depression, but I’m buying. I’m planning,” he said.
Unable to contain myself, I finally broke out and asked if he’s got any blueprints in the work-in-progress that is on his head.
“I’ve combed my hair this way for years!” he crowed. “It’s been very good to me — so, no, I have no plans to make a change.
“The NBC execs love me and don’t want any radical changes.” Right, but really, if his hair got any more radical, they’d have to send it to Gitmo with the rest of the terrorists.