Skip to main content

Reality TV star Omarosa latest Trump aide to exit White House

Omarosa Manigault Newman was escorted off the White House grounds after resigning her post as a presidential adviser and reports suggested she was “fired” by chief of staff John Kelly.


File photo shows Omarosa Manigault Newman with President Donald Trump during a meeting on African American History Month in the White House in Washington
Omarosa Manigault Newman, a former reality TV star who become an aide to President Donald Trump and a prominent African American figure in his team, is the newest member of the administration to leave in a continuing churn of personnel.
Manigault Newman was escorted off the White House grounds after resigning her post as a presidential adviser, the AP quoted two unnamed White House officials as saying. Reports also suggested she was “fired” by chief of staff John Kelly.
In a statement on Wednesday, the White House said she had “resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities". It added, "We wish her the best in future endeavours and are grateful for her service.”
Trump later tweeted: "Thank you Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success."
Though her departure takes effect on January 20, her security clearance was withdrawn on Wednesday. In an unusual tweet, the Secret Service denied it had escorted her out, and said, “Our only involvement in this matter was to deactivate the individual’s pass which grants access to the complex.”
Manigault Newman, widely known by her first name Omarosa, was director of communications for the office of public liaison and one of two prominent African Americans in Trump’s team, along with housing secretary Ben Carson.
Her departure came just days after the announcement of deputy national security adviser Dina Powell’s exit, capping a year marked by a steady exodus of White House officials, starting with former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn in February, just three weeks after Trump took office.
Others to have left since — resigned and fired — include chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer, directors of communications Michael Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci and FBI director James Comey.
More departures are expected around the one-year mark of the administration in January. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson heads that list of those expected to leave, according to reports sourced to the White House. The plan is to replace him with CIA director Mike Pompeo, who will be succeeded by senator Tom Cotton. Trump has denied Tillerson is leaving, but that hasn’t stopped the rumors.
Manigault Newman first appeared on Trump’s The Apprentice in 2004 as an aggressive contestant, and went to join his campaign in 2016. She was a fierce defender when Trump came under attack for racist and sexist remarks, and a prominent African American face on the stage at events to reach out to the community, along with Carson.
At the White House, she was considered close to Trump and could once walk into the Oval Office at will. Many in the White House didn’t like her — she once brought her bridal party of 39 members for a photo shoot at the presidential residence — including Priebus and Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. Priebus had cut her out of some meetings but was unable to curtail her access to Trump.
That task was left to Kelly, who has sought to regulate access to Trump and bring discipline to the White House.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Over 1 lakh illegal immigrants arrested in US in 2017

On January 25, Trump issued an executive order to set forth the Administration’s immigration enforcement and removal priorities. (Representational Image) The US authorities have arrested 143,470 illegal immigrants this year, according to a latest report. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in its annual report that it has made 143,470 administrative arrests in fiscal year 2017, increasing 30 per cent Year-on-Year, Xinhua news agency reported on Wednesday. An administrative arrest is the arrest of an alien for a civil violation of the immigration laws, which is subsequently adjudicated by an immigration judge or through other administrative processes. Of the total arrests, 110,568 occurred after January 20, which is a 42 per cent increase over the same time period last year, according to the report. US President Donald Trump took the oath of office on January 20 this year. On January 25, Trump issued an executive order to set forth the Administration’s immigrat...
Post a Comment
Read more

Canada debates new harassment legislation amid #MeToo storm

We can afford to do more for people who need it by doing less for people who don’t: Trudeau’s message (Photo Source: Reuters) Canada’s parliament began debate on Monday on new legislation to tighten workplace harassment rules, including those governing politicians, as allegations of sexual misconduct mounted against lawmakers on both sides of the political spectrum. The bill, introduced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government in November, gained a new prominence after a federal cabinet minister and two provincial party leaders stepped down last week after being accused of inappropriate behavior. While the proposed law will govern all federal workplaces, including private businesses, the environment among political staffers in Ottawa was in focus as the #MeToo social media movement gained momentum in Canada. “It clearly is a crisis in this workplace,” Employment Minister Patty Hajdu told reporters outside the House of Commons. “We talk a lot about getting wom...
Post a Comment
Read more

Trump administration drops Obama-era easing of marijuana prosecutions

The US Justice Department on Thursday rescinded an Obama administration policy that had eased enforcement of federal marijuana laws in states that legalized the drug, instead giving federal prosecutors wide latitude to pursue criminal charges. The action by Attorney General Jeff Sessions could have damaging consequences for the burgeoning marijuana industry in the six states including California and Colorado that have legalized the drug for recreational use, plus dozens of others that permit medicinal use. Justice Department officials declined to say whether they might take legal action against those states, saying further steps were “still under consideration.” Federal law still prohibits marijuana even as some states move to legalize it. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump’s top priority was enforcing federal law “whether it’s marijuana or immigration.” The policy change, detailed by Sessions in a one-page memo to federal prosecutors nationwid...
Post a Comment
Read more