Omarosa out at White House What's Your Point? December 17, 2017
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 President Donald Trump's administration and "the world will want to hear it."
This week's panel: Bob Price - Associate Editor Breitbart Texas, Nyanza Moore - progressive commentator and Houston attorney, Tony Diaz- Chicano educator and activist, Marcus Davis - host of "Sunday Morning Live", Bill King - businessman, columnist and former Kemah Mayor, and Jessica Colon - Republican strategist. talk about the departure of Omarosa Manigault Newman from the White House.
WASHINGTON (AP) - With Omarosa Manigault Newman's departure, the White House has lost arguably its most prominent and visible African-American senior staffer, serving as a reminder of the lack of diversity at the upper echelons of the Trump administration.
Manigault Newman was one of just a handful of African-Americans to hold a senior position under Trump. Ben Carson, the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is the president's only African-American Cabinet member. Jerome Adams, Trump's surgeon general, is also black.
In an interview Thursday with ABC's "Nightline," Manigault Newman said she often felt lonely as "the only African-American woman in this White House."
"At times it was very difficult," she said, recalling sitting in morning senior staff meetings, with 30 other assistants to the president, where nobody looked like her.
"There was a lack of diversity that I will acknowledge," she said in the interview. "And at times it was very lonely. Because the majority of them were white men who had their own agendas. Many of them had never worked with minorities, didn't know how to interact with them."
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted to reporters Thursday that the White House staff was indeed diverse, despite evidence to the contrary.
"Look, we have a really diverse team across the board at the White House," she said, adding, "We always want to continue to grow the diversity here. We're going to continue to do that and continue to work hard. "
The White House did not respond to requests Thursday for a list of how many African-Americans serve in leadership positions at the White House.
Trump has often been criticized for his responses to racially charged issues, including when he claimed there was blame on "both sides" for deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, earlier this year. Trump has also gone after football players who have chosen to kneel during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality, and he has repeatedly picked fights with African-Americans.
Manigault Newman, who was escorted off the White House grounds after resigning, had served as an assistant to the president and director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison, working on outreach to various constituency groups.
It remains unclear who will take over her position, though Sanders said a number of people were already engaged in outreach with the African-American community.
"This wasn't something that was a singular effort by any one individual," she said. "A member on the Cabinet, Ben Carson, I know, has been engaged and talked with the president on this issue."
Sanders also mentioned the president had met with Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is black.
Despite a lack of diversity at the top, the Trump administration has elevated a number of women with diverse backgrounds.
Deputy National Security adviser Dina Powell, who will be departing early in the new year, is Egyptian-American, and Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is Indian-American. Elaine Chao, the transportation secretary, is Asian-American, and Seema Verma, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is Indian-American.
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 President Donald Trump's administration and "the world will want to hear it."
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."
Trump himself sang her praises when he was asked at an unrelated White House event about the resignation.
"I like Omarosa. Omarosa's a good person," he said.
Manigault Newman described her conversation with Kelly as being "very candid." A newlywed, she said she had a goal to make it to the administration's one-year mark and then "get back to my life."
Her life now seems destined to include writing a tell-all book about her time at the White House.
"When I have a chance to tell my story ... quite a story to tell, as the only African-American woman in this White House, as a senior staff and assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people," she said. "And when I can tell my story, it is a profound story that I know the world will want to hear."
Sanders said Thursday was the first time she'd heard such comments from Manigault Newman.
Her resignation - she was Trump's most visible African-American adviser - immediately raised questions about diversity in the senior ranks of the White House. Manigault Newman said in a separate interview with ABC's "Nightline" that it was challenging being the only black woman in the senior staff.
She said most of the other senior advisers are white, had never worked with minorities and didn't know how to interact with them. She added that her departure will leave Trump without any African-American representation on his senior staff.
"There was a lack of diversity that I will acknowledge," she told the network for its program airing early Friday.
Sanders insisted at her briefing Thursday that the White House team is diverse "across the board."
Manigault Newman, who drew a top salary of $179,700, was a high-profile Trump supporter during the presidential campaign and the transition.
Since her stint as a contestant on the first season of Trump's former reality TV show, "The Apprentice," in 2004, Manigault Newman has enjoyed a close relationship with the New York businessman, even after he uttered his "You're fired" catchphrase and booted her from the program. She was portrayed as a cut-throat contestant during the season. She returned to Trump's "Apprentice" franchise several times and appeared on other reality TV shows.
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 President Donald Trump's administration and "the world will want to hear it."
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."
Trump himself sang her praises when he was asked at an unrelated White House event about the resignation.
"I like Omarosa. Omarosa's a good person," he said.
Manigault Newman described her conversation with Kelly as being "very candid." A newlywed, she said she had a goal to make it to the administration's one-year mark and then "get back to my life."
Her life now seems destined to include writing a tell-all book about her time at the White House.
"When I have a chance to tell my story ... quite a story to tell, as the only African-American woman in this White House, as a senior staff and assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people," she said. "And when I can tell my story, it is a profound story that I know the world will want to hear."
Sanders said Thursday was the first time she'd heard such comments from Manigault Newman.
Her resignation - she was Trump's most visible African-American adviser - immediately raised questions about diversity in the senior ranks of the White House. Manigault Newman said in a separate interview with ABC's "Nightline" that it was challenging being the only black woman in the senior staff.
She said most of the other senior advisers are white, had never worked with minorities and didn't know how to interact with them. She added that her departure will leave Trump without any African-American representation on his senior staff.
"There was a lack of diversity that I will acknowledge," she told the network for its program airing early Friday.
Sanders insisted at her briefing Thursday that the White House team is diverse "across the board."
Manigault Newman, who drew a top salary of $179,700, was a high-profile Trump supporter during the presidential campaign and the transition.
Since her stint as a contestant on the first season of Trump's former reality TV show, "The Apprentice," in 2004, Manigault Newman has enjoyed a close relationship with the New York businessman, even after he uttered his "You're fired" catchphrase and booted her from the program. She was portrayed as a cut-throat contestant during the season. She returned to Trump's "Apprentice" franchise several times and appeared on other reality TV shows.