NBC Reportedly Didn't Love the Way Donald Trump Turned 'The Apprentice' Into a Family Affair

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

Donald Trump is running for president for the third time, but it’s his time on The Apprentice that getting a deep dive, thanks to Ramin Setoodeh’s upcoming book, Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass. Everyone will have to wait until June 18 to reach the juicy details, but Variety teased an excerpt that shows how Donald Trump took his hit show and made it a nepotism opportunity for his older children, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric.

More from SheKnows

• A Body Language Expert Says Barron Trump's Behavior Around Donald & Melania Shows a Clear Difference in Their Relationships

It’s astonishing to remember that the reality competition show reached “more than 20 million viewers an episode in its first season,” but this was before streaming networks ruled the airwaves. It was a big year for NBC in 2004, but after 14 seasons and The Celebrity Apprentice spinoff, it was time for a new generation. The former president believed his perfect replacement was his oldest daughter, Ivanka.

“NBC didn’t like it, because it became like a family thing,” Donald Trump said in the book. “But I said, ‘There’s nobody you’re going to hire that will come even close to Ivanka.’ They said, ‘Huh…’ And then they came back with Arnold Schwarzenegger.” While Schwarzenegger was the eventual choice, Donald Trump campaigned for his daughter to lead the show and have her brothers, Eric and Donald Jr. act as “boardroom advisers.”

Buy Now $32

“I said, ‘The best person to hire would be Ivanka Trump,’” Donald Trump explained. “I didn’t press it. But I felt Ivanka would have been by far the best person you could hire.” He probably would tell NBC executives, “I told you so” now after Schwarzenegger’s version only lasted one season, premiering just ahead of Donald Trump’s January 2017 inauguration. But the Trump family fatigue might have already set in, and The Apprentice was tightly associated with the then-president’s brand — it didn’t matter that Schwarzenegger had taken over.

Eric didn’t need to worry that the NBC show didn’t come to fruition because he and his siblings hit the campaign trail instead. “I think it’s pretty hard to say we’re going to run with reality TV in a time when you’re talking about ending nuclear proliferation around the world,” he shared in the upcoming publication. “I’m not sure the two could have worked in tandem.” Nepotism just created a different job opportunity for him.

Before you go, click here to see every time Ivanka Trump has tried to distance herself from the Trump family:

Best of SheKnows

• 10 Celebrity Couples Who Filed For Divorce More Than Once

• 22 Actresses Who Were Way Too Young to Be Cast in These Mom Roles

• Every Time Paris Jackson's Bold Red Carpet Fashion Took Our Breath Away

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.