Trump adviser to tell all after White House exit
WASHINGTON (AP) — Former “Apprentice” star Omarosa is putting the White House on notice as she makes her exit: She has “quite a story to tell” about her time in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration and “the world will want to hear it.”
AP file photo
Accustomed to the spotlight, Omarosa Manigault Newman appeared on national television Thursday to push back against reports that she was fired from her job as a Trump assistant and director of communications for a White House office that deals with constituent groups.
She also denied reports that she made a spectacle of herself while being escorted from the White House grounds, calling the stories “100 percent false” and questioning why photos or video of her alleged misbehavior had yet to surface.
Better known by just her first name, Manigault Newman told ABC’s “Good Morning America” that she resigned this week after discussing some of her concerns with White House chief of staff John Kelly. The Secret Service said it had deactivated a pass granting her access to the White House complex, though White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Manigault Newman would be on staff through the administration’s one-year mark.
Before her resignation, Kelly had advised Manigault Newman that changes were forthcoming — including her dismissal, according to two White House officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss personnel matters.
Manigault Newman was also expected to be at the White House on Thursday, Huckabee Sanders said. She declined to say for what purpose or to explain why the former reality TV contestant will collect a salary through Jan. 20, citing a policy of declining extensive comment on personnel matters.
“The president likes Omarosa, thanked her for her service,” Sanders told reporters. “And, again, she’ll be here later this afternoon, so she’s resigned from her position, but there’s really nothing else to add on that front.