While Omarosa demonizes Trump in her new book, she raves about Melania
- Former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman's new book hits hard against President Donald Trump, but paints a more well-rounded picture of first lady Melania Trump.
- Manigault Newman describes the first lady as a dedicated wife, mother, and someone who sometimes challenges her husband.
- The first lady's office did not respond to requests for comment but the White House said last week the book is "riddled with lies and false accusations".
Former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman's new book, "Unhinged, an Insider's Account of the Trump White House," hits hard against President Donald Trump on nearly every page.
But it paints a caring and complex picture of first lady Melania Trump.
In 330 pages, Manigault Newman lobs a wide variety of allegations and insults at the president, calling him a "racist," "misogynist," and a "bigot," but Manigault Newman had much nicer things to say about Melania.
Manigault Newman first met the Trumps as a three-time contestant on Trump's reality TV show, "The Apprentice", then joined him on the campaign trail and for a year in the West Wing before chief of staff John Kelly fired her in December 2017.
As a wife
Manigault Newman wrote that Melania is a dedicated and loving wife who "would gaze at him with adoration," despite that Trump behaved "like a dog off the leash" when he attended events without Melania.
Since Trump took office, two instances of his arrangement for hush money to silence past sexual relationships have emerged. Manigault Newman said beyond those extramarital relationships that have been reported, "It would be safe to assume that there were many others."
Porn star Stormy Daniels stated in a lawsuit she had an affair with Trump in 2006, the same year Melania gave birth to Barron. Manigault Newman wrote the relationship was an open secret in Trump's circle, but if Melania "had any idea about his extracurricular activities, I didn't know, and it wasn't my business."
When Trump's outside attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said Melania "believes her husband" Daniels' allegation of an affair, Melania's spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, told The New York Times, "I don't believe Mrs. Trump has ever discussed her thoughts on anything with Mr. Giuliani."
As a mother
Manigault Newman wrote that Melania is "an incredible mother" to son Barron.
When the family was together at Mar-a-Lago, she wrote, Melania's affectionate doting on Barron is a side of her "the world doesn't get to see."
In 2015, the first lady told People magazine that when it comes to parenting, "I like to be hands-on. I think it's very important." That same year, Melania called herself a "full-time mom" who prepares Barron's meals and takes him to and from school.
As Trump's third wife and mother of his fifth child, Melania's style with Barron is reportedly different than that of Trump's first wife Ivana Trump, who had two nannies to take care of their three children.
As a rebellious dresser
Manigault Newman hypothesized that Melania dresses strategically, sometimes using her fashion choices to poke at Trump, something the media has previously speculated.
For example, Melania wore a Gucci blouse described as a "pussy-bow shirt" to an October 2016 presidential debate, two days after then-candidate Trump was heard on a leaked 2005 recording boasting about pursuing a married woman and remarking that he could "grab" women "by the p---y" because "when you're a star they let you do it."
Most recently, Melania made headlines in the middle of the administration's immigration scandal when its "zero-tolerance" policy left thousands of immigrant children separated from their families after crossing the US border.
Melania sparked widespread backlash when she was spotted boarding a plane to Texas to visit immigrant children wearing a green military jacket that said "I really don't care, do u?"
"It's a jacket," Grisham said at the time in a statement to Business Insider. "There was no hidden message."
The White House has discredited the memoir
The White House nor Grisham didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment on this story.
Regarding Manigault Newman's musings about Melania, Grisham told Newsweek that the first lady "rarely, if ever, interacted with Omarosa. It's disappointing to her that she is lashing out and retaliating in such a self-serving way, especially after all the opportunities given to her by the president."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement saying the book is is "riddled with lies and false accusations", and Trump has been attacking Manigault Newman's credibility on Twitter for days.
During the White House press briefing on Tuesday, Sanders said Manigault Newman "clearly cares more about herself than our country."
"She worked here for a year, and didn't have any of these things to say. In fact, everything she said was quite the opposite - not just in the year that she worked here but the time that she spent on the campaign trail," Sanders said. "I think it's really sad what she's doing at this point."
"Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House" went on sale Tuesday.