Donald Trump’s ‘obsession’ with his crush on an NBC colleague is revealed in his new book

When they both worked for NBC, Donald Trump had a crush on Debra Messing, and according to a new book, the “Will & Grace” star is still an “obsession” for the former president.

In the recently published novel “Apprentice in Wonderland,” which is about Trump’s time as host of “The Apprentice,” author Ramin Setoodeh writes that Trump mentioned Messing several times during their interviews and finally dropped a bombshell.

“He confirms something he only hinted at when we last met. In the early years of ‘The Apprentice,’ Trump even had a crush on the leading lady of ‘Will & Grace,'” wrote Setoodeh, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, according to excerpts reported by The Daily Beast and Entertainment Weekly. “Perhaps that’s why he can’t quite shake off the bitterness that now exists between them.”

Messing has become one of Trump’s harshest critics, which annoys him immensely.

“A former president failing to win over a star sounds almost like the premise of a cheesy romantic comedy, but for Trump, Messing’s rejection is still a stab in the heart,” Setoodeh wrote.

“This Debra Messing, who I always found quite attractive – not that it matters, of course,” Trump told Setoodeh in the book. “Debra Messing was so grateful. And then I look at her today and it’s like she’s a complete wreck.”

Trump claimed that Messing approached him at a network pioneer sometime in the 2000s.

“She came up to me with her beautiful red hair,” Trump said. “And she said, ‘Sir – I love you! Thank God for you! You’re saving the network and you’re saving my show.’ Because in this world, which I know a lot about now, it makes a huge difference when you have a hit, a lead-in.”

Setoodeh reminded Trump that “Will & Grace” actually aired before “The Apprentice,” so perhaps it was the sitcom that boosted his reality show’s viewership. “A prelude — or a prelude,” Trump said in an attempt to recover.

Yet Trump continued to construct a narrative of Messing’s supposed gratitude and betrayal.

“She was so grateful,” Trump told Setoodeh. “She said, ‘I can’t thank you enough.’ Can you believe that? I watched her. And I say, ‘She would do anything for me.'”

“She was so exuberant,” he continued. “And when I see the hatred that comes out of her mouth today, it’s unbelievable.”

The likely Republican nominee for the 2024 election said Messing would not confirm the anecdote, but he insisted that “she was begging for recognition.” He quoted Messing as saying, “Thank you for what you did for me, my show and for NBC. This will never be forgotten.”

A spokesperson for Messing did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

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