Former Apprentice star leaving White House
Prominent Black aide was reportedly pushed out of post by president’s chief of staff
WASHINGTON— Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former reality TV star who followed U.S. President Donald Trump into national politics, has stepped down from her post as director of communications at the White House Office of Public Liaison.
“Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities. Her departure will not be effective until Jan. 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in an email.
Manigault Newman is one of few high-profile Black Americans who supported Trump during his campaign last year and is one of his most visible Black aides.
A White House official with knowledge of the dynamics said Trump’s Chief of Staff John Kelly pushed Manigault Newman out and had been frustrated with her for several months. Manigault Newman did not “go quietly” and was eventually es- corted off the premises. “She did not voluntarily resign,” this person said.
Manigault Newman was a polarizing figure in the White House, known for interrupting meetings and erupting at aides she didn’t like.
Her White House role was unclear, the subject of news reports and sniping by her critics. She struggled to help Trump build a relationship with Black Americans, who have consistently given the president low approval ratings.
Manigault Newman also reportedly used her friendship with Trump to ignore the chain of command.
Longtime Black Republicans also chafed at Manigault Newman’s White House post, arguing that she was not a true member of the party. Before Trump entered the presidential race, she was backing Democrat Hillary Clinton.
During the past several months of the Trump administration, she has engaged in public spats with AfricanAmerican groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus, grassroots activists and Black journalists. Reached by phone Wednesday, Manigault Newman referred a reporter to Sanders’ statement. Manigault Newman became a breakout star in the first season of Trump’s Apprentice franchise. She did not take the top prize, but she became a favourite of Trump, who invited her to participate in subsequent iterations of the show.