Trump in 1994: 'Putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing'

By David Wright, CNN

Updated 2:21 PM EDT, Thu June 02, 2016

Story highlights

The remarks came in an interview about his relationship with women
He once praised the work of his first wife, Ivana

(CNN) Donald Trump once said that "putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing" in a recently resurfaced interview with ABC News from 1994.

The comments were part of an extended discussion about how Trump viewed his relationships with women and the difficulty he had in mixing his business with his personal life.

Marriage advice from The Donald: Get a pre-nup

Speaking to "Primetime Live" correspondent Nancy Collins in March of that year, Trump attributed the failure of his marriage with ex-wife, Ivana, to his decision to put her in a management role at one of his Atlantic City casinos, according to a ABC News report on the interview.

Donald Trump's women problem

"I think that putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing. If you're in business for yourself, I really think it's a bad idea. I think that was the single greatest cause of what happened to my marriage with Ivana," Trump said.

Donald Trump's rise

President-elect Donald Trump has been in the spotlight for years. From developing real estate and producing and starring in TV shows, he became a celebrity long before winning the White House.

1 of 37

He said that he disliked hearing her "shouting on the phone" during contentious business deals.

"A softness disappeared. There was a great softness to Ivana, and she still has that softness, but during this period of time she became an executive not a wife," Trump had said.

Donald Trump's immigrant wives

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee also discussed his then-marriage to Marla Maples. Trump said that while he enjoyed "creating stars" -- which he said was "almost like creating a building" -- such as Maples, their professional obligations were frustrating.

"I have days where I think it's great. And I have days where, if I come home -- and I don't want to sound too much like a chauvinist -- but when I come home and dinner's not ready, I go through the roof," he said.

Donald Trump paid ex-wife in dresses

Trump, however, has also praised women in the workplace -- or at least his willingness to hire them -- in his book, "The Art of The Deal."

"My own mother was a housewife all her life. And yet it's turned out that I've hired a lot of women for top jobs, and they've been among my best people. Often, in fact, they are more effective than the men around them," he wrote.

Outbrain