WASHINGTON – The Latest on Omarosa Manigault Newman and her departure from the White House staff (all times local):
6:30 p.m.
Former “Apprentice” contestant Omarosa Manigault Newman says her departure from the White House means President Donald Trump will have no African-Americans on his senior staff.
Manigault Newman tells ABC’s “Nightline” for its program airing early Friday that most of the other senior advisers are white and had never worked with minorities and didn’t know how to interact with them.
She says she resigned from her job and denies reports that she was fired or made a scene while being escorted from White House grounds.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted earlier Thursday that the White House team is diverse “across the board.”
Manigault Newman has known Trump since appearing on the first season of “The Apprentice.” She says he learned of her departure by watching the news.
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8:30 a.m.
Former “Apprentice” star Omarosa Manigault Newman denies reports that she was fired from her job in the White House.
Manigault Newman also denies reports that she made a scene while being escorted from the White House grounds. She tells ABC’s “Good Morning America” in a Thursday interview the reports are “100 per cent false.”
Manigault Newman says she resigned after speaking with White House chief of staff John Kelly about some of her concerns. She says she remains on staff until Jan. 20, the administration’s one-year mark.
Manigault Newman has known Trump for more than a decade, since she first appeared as a contestant on his reality TV show “The Apprentice.”
She says reports that she tried to enter the White House residence are “ridiculous” and “absurd.”
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3:55 a.m.
True to form, former “Apprentice” star Omarosa is ending her time at the White House with a dose of drama.
Omarosa Manigault Newman, one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent African-American supporters, was escorted off the White House grounds after resigning her post as a presidential adviser, according to two White House officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Manigault Newman’s resignation is effective Jan. 20, one year after Trump’s inauguration. “We wish her the best in future endeavours and are grateful for her service,” Sanders said.
The president also bid her farewell, tweeting: “Thank you Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success.”
Manigault Newman was an assistant to the president and director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison, working on outreach to various constituency groups.
