Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Omarosa Manigault claims President Donald Trump considered getting sworn in on his book, "The Art of the Deal," instead of the Bible.
- President Donald Trump called Omarosa Manigault Newman a low life and a dog in response to allegations she made against him.
- The approach appears to be backfiring.
- Omarosa is on a publicity tour for her new book recounting her time in the Trump administration.
- But she has already contradicted herself and lacks credibility as she makes bombshell allegations that Trump is a vocal racist.
- Trump could have ignored the allegations and let it blow over - but he reportedly could not help himself, and is now has avoidable problems that reflect badly on him.
President Donald Trump called Omarosa Manigault Newman, his former White House aide and reality TV companion, a low life and a dog in response her allegation that he's a racist - a strategy that appears to be backfiring on him.
Omarosa, on a publicity tour of talk shows for her new book, has emerged from her brief stint in Trump's White House as a Trump enemy, after years of publicly praising him and working for his campaign and administration.
Armed with tapes of private conversations, she's alleged that Trump's a racist with a history of using vile slurs against black people.
But Omarosa doesn't exactly command credibility. For example, in her book she says she spoke to a source who had heard a tape of Trump using racial slurs.
Later, in an interview with NPR, she said she heard the tape herself, which is not what she wrote in the book.
Republican pollster Frank Lutz also pushed back on details from the book around the alleged tape.
"I'm in [Omarosa's] book on page 149," Lutz tweeted. "She claims to have heard from someone who heard from me that I heard Trump use the N-word. Not only is this flat-out false (I've never heard such a thing), but Omarosa didn't even make an effort to call or email me to verify. Very shoddy work."
But Trump, by constantly bringing up Omarosa, elevated these allegations from mere rumors to topics of national conversation, and that hasn't gone very well for him.
Backfire
Thomson Reuters Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and Omarosa Manigault (R) attend a church service, in Detroit, Michigan
Trump's response to Omarosa's allegations, which could potentially have been blanket-denied and swept under the rug, looks to have exacerbated the situation and given the story new life.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said during Tuesday's press briefing that she "can't guarantee" that we will never hear a recording of President Donald Trump saying the N-word, in reply to a barrage of questions about the book.
Even longtime Trump defender Geraldo Rivera thought Trump's tirade against Omarosa went too far.
Additionally, Trump has brought up Omarosa signing a nondisclosure agreement, something which recalls his ongoing battle against Stormy Daniels and other women who allege being given hush money after affairs with him.
NPR reported on Tuesday that Trump filed a complaint accusing Omarosa of violating the agreement, meaning this could now play out over a lengthy arbitration process, resurfacing again and again.
But, lucky for Trump, despite his considerable efforts to keep Omarosa's name in the news, her book has not emerged as the best-seller that previous Trump admin inside accounts have been.
Also, Omarosa may have opened herself up to legal trouble after she said she recorded audio in the White House's situation room.
In any case, sources close to Trump told Axios that the president was advised to hold his tongue and let the controversy blow over, but simply could not help himself.
Fear my friend @realDonaldTrump undermines himself by using intemperate, boorish language to describe his enemies. I can't stand @OMAROSA a bully, back stabber & big mouth. But to call her a 'dog' & 'low life' is beneath dignity of the office of @POTUS & open to ugly connotation.
- Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) August 14, 2018