"Very much a racist issue. When you heard these things, there's the audible gasp that is quickly followed by a cough, and then you just sort of carry on."
Pressed further, Pruitt was asked whether the comments pertained to African-Americans, Jews, or all of the above. "Yes," was his response.
The producer admits he partly blames himself for Trump's rise to power, given that he and the rest of the Apprentice crew found themselves censoring the host to make him palatable to viewers.
"To be, 'Hey, TV star, shut your goddamn mouth and don't ever, ever repeat what you just said to anyone ever' - of course you think that. You go back to your hotel room or your apartment, and you do some soul-searching. We told a story [on The Apprentice]. Now all of a sudden we're here. A cultural icon emerged because we weren't necessarily truthful about our portrayal."
A White House spokesman told NPR that the claims are the "same recycled and false attacks."
This isn't the first time Pruitt has spoken out against his former colleague. In an interview last year, he said that "The Apprentice was a scam put forth to the public in exchange for ratings. We were 'entertaining', and the story about Donald Trump and his stature fell into some bizarre public record as 'truth'."
"We are masterful storytellers and we did our job well. What's shocking to me is how quickly and decisively the world bought it. Did we think this clown, this buffoon with the funny hair, would ever become a world leader? Not once. Ever," he continued.
Comedian Tom Arnold made headlines last December when he claimed he has a tape of Trump using racial slurs and offensive language while he was hosting The Apprentice.
The comedian made the revelation in an interview with a US radio station.
"I have the outtakes to The Apprentice where he says every bad thing ever, every offensive, racist thing ever," Arnold said.
"It was him sitting in that chair saying the N-word, saying the C-word, calling his son a 'retard'; just being so mean to his own children."
