Trump vs Rosie: First Apprentice Cast-off Picks a Side

Unlike how the disco song goes, Martin Clarke simply wasn't workin' at the car wash, and that's why he earned the dubious honor of being the first casualty of NBC's The Apprentice: Los Angeles (Sundays at 9 pm/ET). The day after his on-screen dismissal, Martin spoke with TVGuide.com about his dirty car-wash deeds, being labeled "a pompous ass," and where he stands on this week's assorted Apprentice/Donald Trump controversies.

TVGuide.com: I have to wonder, how many ancient sayings and proverbs did you come armed with going into this thing? Last night alone you gave us like a half-dozen.
Martin Clarke: [Laughs] I have an endless list of all these crazy sayings, and throughout the season I was going to do a 'world tour' — start off in Africa, and then end up somewhere in North Mongolia.

TVGuide.com: I was afraid you'd have to start quoting Star Trek. Like, "Mr. Trump, in every revolution, there is one man with a vision." Is this the first edition of The Apprentice that you tried out for?
Martin: No, sir. I was a finalist, one of the last ones cut from, I believe it was Season 4 or 5. As soon as I got back home, my wife had our child two months premature, so on top of not making it, I had to go to the neonatal unit. But thank goodness I didn't make it, because she needed me. I then lost about 30 lbs., came back fighting mad and made the show.

TVGuide.com: Answer me something in light of a recent headline, where Trump was sued for age discrimination by someone who tried out a few years ago. Is there a point in the process, perhaps a form you fill out, where an age limit is ever expressed by the producers?
Martin: None whatsoever that I know of. In fact, I was, I believe, the oldest on this current season, me or Kristine. But no, I don't see how that suit will have any strong foundation.

TVGuide.com: Were you glad or disappointed that this round was set in L.A.?
Martin: Oh, completely disappointed. New York is where I grew up, so I know it like the back of my hand, and I would have had a great advantage. In L.A., I was playing catch-up.

TVGuide.com: Plus in NYC everything is so immediate. "I need to be in Chelsea? Boom, I'm in Chelsea."
Martin: I've dated a few girls from L.A., and everything is at least 40 minutes away.

TVGuide.com: Tell that to Jack Bauer. I must tell you, I wrote you off pretty quickly into the first episode, until this one video diary hinted that you were scheming and ruthless. I thought, "Martin's going to dupe everybody and go far in this."
Martin: I almost did. I guarantee you that had I made it through last night, I would have gone to the end. I guarantee you.

TVGuide.com: What would you have done differently in the car-wash task?
Martin: I would have probably given Ivanka [Trump] more face time. I think the other candidates kind of jumped on her when she showed up and acted all excited, while I was too busy working. The editing could have presented me in a better light, but at the end of the day, I'm a great attorney. Whether or not I'm a great car-washer, that doesn't matter. Donald Trump gave me a fantastic compliment at the end there....

TVGuide.com: When he called you a "pompous ass"?
Martin: You know, in a lot of ways that is [a compliment], because that meant that he saw a lot of himself in me. People call him a pompous ass all the time, so for the world's biggest pompous ass to call me a pompous ass? That's an amazing compliment.

TVGuide.com: Which side are you on, Team Trump or Team Rosie?
Martin: I'm by far Team Trump on [the Miss USA issue]. Forgiveness is a really strong tenet in just about any of the world's religions, so for Rosie to counter that is a little bit bizarre to me. It's a little weird.

TVGuide.com: What's your advice for The Apprentice's Frank going forward?
Martin: Frank has got to lay low. I do profiling in my negotiations as an attorney, and I was able to use that to sort of focus the group against him. It took a lot of work, but I started off as a zero, and I almost ended up as a hero. So I really, really think that he's going to have to lay low.

TVGuide.com: And who are the ones to watch?
Martin: As a profiler, I think the most dangerous person on the show is James. That excitable demeanor really camouflages the fact that he is quite, quite cunning. Right off the bat I could tell that he was a danger. That was confirmed when I saw his behind-the-scenes interviews.

TVGuide.com: What's next for you?
Martin: I'm doing three amazing things: I've got a book called Power, Influence and Profiling; I have the lecture series that I'm doing; I started a TV production company called Wingman Hookup Productions; and I also have the "Give Him a Chance, Trump" campaign, where I'm trying to get people to vote for me to go up against whomever he chooses in the finale. I have a ton of things going on.

Send your comments on this Q&A to online_insider@tvguide.com.