Omarosa: ‘I Have Heard the Tape’ of Trump ‘Saying the N-Word’ (Video)
“I was complicit with this White House deceiving this nation,” president’s former aide says on “Meet the Press”
Rosemary Rossi | August 12, 2018 @ 11:00 AM
Last Updated: August 13, 2018 @ 3:22 PM
Omarosa Manigault-Newman says she has “heard the tape” of President Donald Trump saying “the n-word,” adding, “When he talks that way, the way he did on this tape, it confirmed that he is truly a racist.”
During an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” Sunday morning, Manigault-Newman told host Chuck Todd why that significant detail of actually hearing the racial slur was not mentioned in her book, “Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House”: because the book “closed too soon.”
The president’s former aide explained that she had heard rumors “over and over again” that Trump had used the n-word during the taping of “The Apprentice,” and when she had an opportunity to hear the proof, she took it.
“When I had an opportunity to meet up with three different sources, they described the same exact statements,” she told Todd. “After I closed the book, I had an opportunity to go out in Los Angeles and sit down with the person who actually has a copy of the tape. And I heard his voice, as clear as you and I are sitting here.”
She continued, “I have heard for two years that it existed and once I heard it for myself, it was confirmed what I feared the most. That Donald Trump is a con and has been masquerading as someone who is actually open to engaging with diverse communities but when he talks that way, the way he did on this tape, it confirmed that he is truly a racist.”
Although Trump has never used the n-word in her presence, she said, “I am pretty certain that he’s probably said some very derogatory things about me.”
What those who have the recording are going to do with it is another question… and something Manigault-Newman is steering clear of. “What I regret is that these people are probably trying to leverage it as this October surprise and I don’t want to be a part of that,” she said.
The president responded to the accusations in Manigault-Newman’s book Saturday at a Bikers for Trump event at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, when a reporter asked if he felt his former aide betrayed him.
“Lowlife. She’s a lowlife,” he responded, putting his hand to the side of his mouth as if whispering.
“I was complicit with this White House deceiving this nation,” Manigault-Newman said. “They continue to deceive this nation by how mentally declined he is, how difficult it is for him to process complex information, how he is not engaged in some of the most important decisions that impacts our country. I was complicit and for that I regret.”
Manigault-Newman was criticized Sunday after it was revealed that she recorded her firing by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly in the Situation Room on December 12. When asked by Todd how often she taped people, Manigault-Newman replied, “I protected myself because this is a White House where everybody lies.”
Watch the full interview above.
Omarosa's 11 Biggest Feuds, From 'The Apprentice' to the Trump White House (Photos)
White House aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman exited the Trump administration in 2017, and some reports said she had to be "physically dragged and escorted" off the premises. It's hardly the first time the "Apprentice" alum has gotten into a high-profile disagreement since coming into the public eye over a decade ago.
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During her first appearance on "The Apprentice" in 2004, Manigault-Newman frequently bragged about her experience working with then-Vice President Al Gore. However, it was later reported that she cycled through four positions in two years before finally being asked to leave altogether.
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Manigault-Newman became one of the original reality TV villains with her instantly iconic performance on "The Apprentice's" debut season. She clashed with nearly every other cast member that season, but perhaps her most memorable moment came when she accused fellow contestant Ereka Vetrini of racism over the phrase "the pot calling the kettle black."
NBC
Not one to let her 15 minutes expire, Manigault-Newman spun her star-making turn on "The Apprentice" into lasting reality TV notoriety. When she appeared on the fifth season of VH1's "The Surreal Life," she found herself under the knife -- literally -- of Janice Dickinson. The mock-threat sent Manigault-Newman over the edge, leading her to call Dickinson "a crackhead" and threatening to hit her "in the mouth."
VH1
When Manigault-Newman returned to the Trump boardroom for "The Celebrity Apprentice" in 2008, she found a new enemy in the prickly British TV personality Piers Morgan. Their feud persists even until today, but it began when Morgan pinpointed her as the biggest liability among the women and refused to pronounce her name correctly.
NBC
Radio personality-turned-daytime TV star Wendy Williams hosted Manigault-Newman on her fledgling talk show in 2008 to promote her book, "The Bitch Switch." That interview quickly devolved into a series of snide comments about each other's looks and a full-blown argument about whether or not Manigault-Newman is a good representative for the black community.
Fox
Her third and final "Apprentice" appearance was in the show's "All-Stars" season in 2013, when she again clashed with Morgan, who was brought back to judge the contestants as a past winner. But it was La Toya Jackson who took the brunt of her anger when the singer dared to try and tell her what to do during one of the weekly challenges.
NBC
Manigault-Newman and "Real Housewives of New York" star Bethenny Frankel held animosity for each other for years, but the pair tried to turn their beef into ratings when the "Apprentice" alum appeared on Frankel's daytime talk show in 2013. Manigault-Newman slammed Frankel as "mediocre," saying she'd had an easier path to fame and success because of her race.
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Michael Clarke Duncan's family hired a lawyer in 2013 to investigate the late actor's decision to rewrite his will to make Manigault-Newman, his then-fiancee, his main beneficiary a year before his death. The "Green Mile" star's sister also took issue with Manigault-Newman's decision to sell some of his belongings without their knowledge.
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Shortly after taking on her position as a communications official in the Trump White House, Manigault-Newman made headlines for a verbal altercation with veteran reporter -- and former friend -- April Ryan. Witnesses said the two got into a heated argument outside the Oval Office, and Ryan later said Manigault-Newman claimed to have "dossiers" of damaging information about a number of reporters.
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Manigault-Newman returned to her reality TV roots after leaving the Trump administration, entering the "Big Brother" house for the CBS competition show's first celebrity edition. One of her first acts as a born-again TV star was to tearfully warn that the country's "not going to be okay" with Trump in office. The White House fired back at a press briefing, boasting about how many times Manigault-Newman was fired on "The Apprentice."
CBS
While promoting her book "Unhinged" on NBC's "Meet the Press," Manigault-Newman played a recording of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly firing her. She also hinted at the existence of other recordings, including of Trump himself. The president has fired back, repeatedly calling his former aide a "lowlife."
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The reality TV villain has made more than her fair share of enemies over the years
White House aide Omarosa Manigault-Newman exited the Trump administration in 2017, and some reports said she had to be "physically dragged and escorted" off the premises. It's hardly the first time the "Apprentice" alum has gotten into a high-profile disagreement since coming into the public eye over a decade ago.