Omarosa Manigault in wild interview about White House exit: I saw 'a lot of things' that upset me in the Trump administration
- Omarosa Manigault Newman, a top aide to President Donald Trump, denied that she was fired from the White House, and blamed a reporter with a "personal vendetta" against her for spreading a false narrative.
- Newman told ABC's "Good Morning America" that she resigned after expressing "concerns" and "issues" with the administration.
- She added that she has a "profound story" to tell about upsetting experiences she had while serving as the sole black woman among the president's top aides.
Omarosa Manigault Newman denied that she was dramatically fired and escorted from the White House grounds, claiming she resigned from her position as a top aide to President Donald Trump and that reports to the contrary were fabricated by a reporter with "a personal vendetta."
April Ryan, American Urban Radio Networks' White House correspondent, reported on Wednesday that Newman protested her firing by White House chief of staff John Kelly, attempted to enter the White House residence to speak with the president, and was stopped by the Secret Service and escorted from the White House grounds.
Newman described a very different series of events, telling ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday that she resigned from her job as director of communications for the White House's Office of Public Liaison after expressing her "issues" and "concerns" with the administration in a conversation with Kelly.
"John Kelly and I had a very straightforward discussion about concerns that I had, issues that I raised and, as a result, I resigned," Newman told host Michael Strahan, describing the administration as "interesting."
Newman declined to elaborate on the issues she said she had with the Trump administration, but said that once she officially leaves the White House on January 20 she will have a "profound story" to tell about negative experiences she had as one of just two black members of Trump's top three dozen White House and cabinet officials.
"There were a lot of things that I observed over the past year that I was very unhappy with, that I was very uncomfortable with," Newman said. "But 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."
The Secret Service said on Wednesday evening that it had deactivated Newman's pass, which grants access to the White House facilities, but was not otherwise involved in her termination or escorting her off of the premises.
Newman described Kelly's leadership style as "militaristic" and said she wasn't sure he wanted her to be on his team, but said that the new chief of staff brought "much-needed order to the West Wing."
She added that certain Trump aides took issue with the level of access she had to the president before Kelly enforced his more restrictive rules about Trump's communications with staffers.
"Certainly I had more access than most and people had problems with that," she said, adding that some resented her "14-year relationship with the president."
Trump acknowledged Newman with a tweet late Wednesday, "Thank you Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success."
Newman's role has recently come under scrutiny in the media, with reports suggesting her position is vague and undefined and a point of frustration for her colleagues. She has struggled to develop relationships between the Trump administration and black lawmakers and communities, and she has a history of sparking workplace drama.
Some close to Newman have said that she took issue with the president's handling of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville last August and with his support for Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore.
Watch the interview below: