What to know about new claims that Trump made racist comments on ‘The Apprentice’

As Donald Trump seeks to make inroads with African American voters in his third run for the White House, fresh allegations are surfacing about his disrespectful behavior toward Black people on “ The Apprentice,” the hit reality TV show that launched his political career. Here’s what to know about new claims of racially insensitive exchanges tied to “The Apprentice”: A CONTESTANT’S STORY Folkes said he had just been fired by Trump and was commiserating with a crew member inside a bar at Trump Tower. A spokesperson for the Trump campaign vehemently denied Folkes’ claims, calling them “completely fabricated accusations” that had been debunked in 2016, when Trump first ran for office. Trump’s 2016 campaign was rocked by allegations about his conduct on “The Apprentice” and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star.” Trump’s comments about female cast and crew members were the subject of an AP investigation published in October 2016. After reading the AP story, “Access Hollywood” producers said they dug into their own show’s archive, uncovering the 2005 tape in which Trump made lewd remarks about women.