Amazon just effectively confirmed President Donald Trump's nationwide popularity with its latest streaming decision. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon will begin rolling out all seven seasons of "The Apprentice," beginning March 10 for Prime Video subscribers, and in the U.S. only. 

Amazon seems to be wanting to produce things that feature the Trumps, including spending millions of dollars on a documentary about Melania Trump: 

Prime Video’s decision to stream The Apprentice comes after it paid a reported $40 million to license a documentary about Melania Trump. (The movie The Apprentice, which paints a less flattering portrait of Donald Trump’s rise, is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video, incidentally.)

The Apprentice, created by Mark Burnett, premiered on NBC in 2004 and was a breakout hit in its first season, averaging more than 20 million viewers and ranking in the top 10 for the 2003-04 season. The next two installments remained top-20 shows, but subsequent seasons slid down the rankings. The final non-celebrity edition in 2010 averaged 4.7 million viewers.

Trump said in a statement, “I look forward to watching this show myself — such great memories, and so much fun, but most importantly, it was a learning experience for all of us.”

The show is largely credited for helping Trump rise to a level of fame that put him on many people's radar to run for President in the first place, but businesswise, this is an incredibly smart move from Amazon. Given Trump's popularity, seizing the opportunity to put shows to stream that feature Trump as a central figure is going to draw eyeballs. 

But I imagine that this won't just make Amazon some money, it'll keep Trump's popularity up in the present as well. The show was a massive hit when it aired, and with Trump being the personality at the center, it's likely to make people look at him more fondly today. 

A study published by the American Political Science Review actually explored how the show propelled Trump to success in the 2016 Republican primary, presenting Trump as "America's Boss," and presenting him as a competent and powerful individual: 

As Von Drehle described in his coverage of the Reference Von Drehle2016 election, “the crafted characters of reality TV experience a different kind of stardom from the TV and movie idols of the past. Fans are encouraged to feel that they know these people, not as fictional characters but as flesh and blood” (Reference Von Drehle2016). Trump, in this view, is not playing the role of a successful, powerful businessman, he is a successful, powerful businessman.

A closer look at the scripts themselves sheds light on how the The Apprentice contributed to revamping Trump’s image. The phrases that contestants used to describe Trump throughout the 13 seasons align with his own 2016 campaign messages. Trump is portrayed as someone who “has certainly given everybody a shortcut to the American Dream” (Season 1: Episode 1); “one of the most powerful men in the world” (S2:E1); “…a humanitarian. And somebody who’s also concerned about important causes” (S4: E13); “the greatest businessman ever” (S6: E1); “the Mack Daddy of the United States” (S3: E7); “an icon […] an amazing individual and everybody looks up to [Trump]” (S7: E13); There is even a scene in which Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) lent credence to Trump’s success, saying that “even when [Trump] was much younger,” he knew that “[Trump] was gonna go places” (S5: E8). Season 6, aired in 2007, features a person holding a “Trump for PRESIDENT” sign.

Amazon bringing this back is likely going to scratch Trump's back, both in his image and his wallet, though how much money Trump will make from these reruns is not currently known. He was the executive producer of the show, so he's likely going to make money off it, but how much exactly isn't something Amazon is commenting on. 

All-in-all, I wouldn't be surprised if Trump's popularity sees a small bump. 

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