Omarosa Manigault Newman, former star of The Apprentice and one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent African-American supporters, has reportedly been fired. Omarosa and Trump maintained a business relationship following her first appearance on the successful reality TV show, The Apprentice, in 2004 when she emerged as the villainous star before being “fired” from the show. Now ABC is reporting the President has fired Omarosa once more but this time she didn’t leave as willingly.
Reuters
The former Apprentice star was reportedly dragged “kicking and screaming” from the White House because she refused to believe President Donald Trump had fired her. However, the official version of the Trump administration that was released days earlier was that the reality-TV-star-turned-director-of-communications-for-the-Public-Liaison-Office had already made the decision to resign “to pursue other opportunities.” Reports say Omarosa left in a hail of profanities and even tried to storm into the president’s residence to confront Mr. Trump about his decision after chief of staff John Kelly relayed the message that it was time for her to go.
But according to a statement from press secretary Sarah Sanders, Omarosa will leave January 20, 2018, of her own accord, one year to the day after Trump took office. “Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities,” Sanders said. “Her departure will not be effective until January 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service.” President Trump also confirmed his former political aide will be leaving her position, and the White House, in a tweet. “Thank you, Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success,” Trump wrote.
CNN reports that the 43-year-old’s departure has been a long time coming following chief of staff John Kelly taking over in July. A former White House official told CNN that John Kelly and former chief of staff Reince Priebus both wanted to see Omarosa leave. “People have long been unsure what she did at the White House,” the official said, adding that people inside the White House had been openly questioning her value to the President. But it was the loyalty and friendship between Omarosa and Trump. During his 2016 presidential campaign, she was named Director of African-American Outreach. This kept her in the White House for this long, according to sources. Omarosa was one of Trump’s most outspoken supporters during the campaign. Omarosa infamously said in an interview with PBS Frontline that once Trump wins, “Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump.”
Shutterstock | Frederic Legrand - COMEO
April Ryan, White House bureau chief for American Urban Radio Networks, confirmed the reports in a tweet, saying, “Gen Kelly Kicked her out [with] high drama with [Omarosa] offering vulgarities and curse words as she was escorted out of the building and off campus.” Ryan also said in her radio report that Omarosa “was very upset and said that she wanted to speak to the president.” Citing sources, Ryan said, “Gen. Kelly said that the president was already informed and signed off” and apparently told Omarosa that the firing was “not like going to the principal’s office.”
During the altercation, Ryan also stated that Omarosa told Gen. Kelly that she had brought “the black vote to Trump.” After a slew of profanities and attempting to walk over to Trump’s residence, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a White House official said she was “physically dragged” out by Secret Service agents. But the U.S Secret Service later denied their involvement in a tweet, stating “The Secret Service was not involved in the termination process of Ms. Manigault Newman or the escort off of the complex. Our only involvement in this matter was to deactivate the individual’s pass which grants access to the complex.” The agency referred to any reports of their involvement as “incorrect.”
Okay the White House still contends Omarosa signed a resignation letter. But Gen Kelly Kicked her out will high drama with the Minister offering vulgarities and curse words as she was escorted out of the building and off campus
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) December 13, 2017
Omarosa has since challenged the details April Ryan “revealed” about her departure from the Trump Administration, claiming Ryan is fueled by a personal vendetta against her, calling all reports that she’s been fired from her position as “100% false” and accusing Ryan of advancing false narratives.
Omarosa’s departure also comes a month after Politico reported she brought her 39-person bridal party to the White House for an extended wedding photo shoot this past spring. The report said four unnamed White House officials revealed that prior to her nuptials, Omarosa staged an “extended wedding photo shoot” at the White House in her bridal attire to the surprise of her fellow senior political aides and some security officials who claim to have not been briefed in advance. The 43-year-old later married her husband John Allen Newman at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C.
In August, Omarosa got into a shouting match at the National Association of Black Journalists conference in New Orleans when asked about how she “could sit in a White House” while Trump suggested support for police brutality. Omarosa accused the host of being “too aggressive” and asked him, “Are you suggesting that I just walk away?”
Now, according to Omarosa’s recent interview on Good Morning America, she is, in fact, walking away. “I resigned, and I didn’t do that in the Residence as being reported,” Omarosa told ABC’s Michael Strahan. The former Apprentice star described reports to the contrary as “100% false,” stating that the truth is she discussed her resignation with Chief of Staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, inaudible to anyone else.
Omarosa claimed that she’d succeeded in her goal to last a year in the White House before going back to her life, which is why her resignation is slated for January 20, exactly one year after taking her position as director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison. “When I have my 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 and when I can tell my story, it is a profound story that I know the world will want to hear,” Omarosa concluded.
Shutterstock | Kathy Hutchins
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