Shocking revelation in leaked tapes of a secret conversation between Candidate Donald Trump and CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker (former President of NBC Entertainment who signed Trump up for The Apprentice).  Here is the heart of that discussion:

Trump: Here’s the deal — you give me kid glove treatment during the campaign and hold me to the standards of an entertainer, not a serious candidate,

Zucker: And what do I get out of it?

Trump: When I win, I’ll turn on you and excoriate CNN as FAKE NEWS!!

Zucker: That doesn’t seem like a very good quid pro quo.

Trump: Are you kidding me?? Your RATINGS will GO THROUGH THE ROOF!!  If there’s one thing I learned from working with Vince McMahon and the WWE it’s EVERYBODY LOVES a GREAT FEUD!!  And they ESPECIALLY LOVE a VILLAIN they can LOVE to HATE!!

Zucker: Interesting.  How exactly would this work?

Trump: I’ll be the HEEL or VILLAIN, of course.  They get all the best lines and trash-talk and give their opponents SILLY NICKNAMES.  Who’ll be your White House correspondent?

Zucker: Jim Acosta.

Trump:  Acosta . . . Acosta – I got it!  How about I say “Hey Acosta, how would you like it if I have the Secret Service accost YOU?”

Zucker: That’s good!  And you could even REFUSE TO CALL ON HIM at a press conference.  That’ll give us a whole news day to get in full high dudgeon!  Wolf Blitzer will pop a vein!

Trump:  It’ll be just like the old days on The Apprentice, Jeff!  I had a ball, and I NEVER forget a friend who helped me out and gave me my start on TV – and made us BOTH a LOT of money!

Zucker:  Those WERE good times.

Trump: It’ll be GREAT to work together again.  Of course, you know this isn’t an exclusive.  I’m doing the same deal with Maggie Whatshername of the New York Times.  I’ll call it the FAILING NY Times and act like I HATE it.  But it’s my hometown pa per and I read it EVERY DAY!

Zucker: Hey, maybe you could do the same with US!  Say you NEVER watch, but then refer to something that was JUST ON!

Trump: That could work.  I’ll give it a try.  So we have a deal?

Zucker: We have a deal!