Omarosa claims Trump referred to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as 'Ditzy DeVos' and said he would 'get rid of her'
- Former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman claims in her new book, "Unhinged," that President Donald Trump once referred to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as "Ditzy DeVos" and said he would soon "get rid of her."
- Manigault Newman expressed dismay that DeVos is still secretary of education and said she's "destroying the education system in this country."
- The White House has dismissed Manigault Newman's memoir as the product of a "disgruntled" former employee and said it's "riddled with lies."
Former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman claims in her new book, "Unhinged," that President Donald Trump once referred to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as "Ditzy DeVos" and said he would soon "get rid of her."
This allegedly occurred after a disastrous visit to Howard University in May 2017, in which DeVos was protested and booed by the student body. Manigault Newman, who studied at Howard, joined DeVos on her trip to the campus and said it was "painful to experience."
Manigault Newman also accompanied DeVos the following day for an event in Florida, but was apparently ditched at the hotel by DeVos's motorcade.
The former White House adviser claims DeVos called and told her to take an Uber to the event, but she was livid and opted to take one to the airport instead.
Manigault Newman wrote, "We'd been booed by the entire auditorium. People were angry. There were protesters. I'd been getting death threats daily. And she'd left me completely alone with no security?"
After she returned and gave the president a summary of what transpired, Manigault Newman claims Trump "shook his head in disgust" and suggested he would fire DeVos in the near future.
"[Trump] said, 'She is Ditzy DeVos, what do you expect? In a very short period of time, I will get rid of her. Believe me, believe me,'" Manigault Newman wrote.
Manigault Newman then expressed dismay that DeVos is still secretary of education and said she's "destroying the education system in this country."
"The depth and breadth of [DeVos's] ignorance is a travesty for the children. ... She's woefully inadequate and not equipped for her job. She is just as horrible as you suspect she is," Manigault Newman wrote.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the story.
The White House has dismissed Manigault Newman's memoir as the product of a "disgruntled" former employee and said it's "riddled with lies." Trump on Monday also referred to Manigault Newman as a "lowlife."
Manigault Newman has also already made public statements in the past week that have contradicted allegations made in her book, adding to questions surrounding the credibility of her claims.
"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House" will be released on August 14.