In an appearance Sunday on Meet The Press, former White House staffer Omarosa Manigault released a secret recording of Chief of Staff john Kelly firing her, which she characterized as a “threat.”
Said Omarosa: “It's very obvious…he goes on to say that things can get ugly for you…The chief of staff of the United States under the President of the United States threatening me on damage to my reputation, and things getting ugly for me. That's downright criminal.”
EXCLUSIVE: @OMAROSA tells @chucktodd that John Kelly firing was a "threat" pic.twitter.com/y53SZm0uzL
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 12, 2018
Full interview:
Kelly did the firing in The Situation Room. And people have a lot of questions…
Omarosa needs a lawyer—she made a recording of the White House Chief of Staff in a classified area called a SCIF.
But someone needs to ask John Kelly: Why did you feel the need to have Omarosa's exit conversation in a SCIF? Is it because said something you didn't want recorded? https://t.co/75bw2RwbZF
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) August 12, 2018
Set aside that Omarosa recorded a conversation in the Sit Room. Why was she there in the first place? Why did John Kelly, who has a large, private office, feel that was the best place to fire her? This is bigger than Omarosa. It's a culture of disregard for our natl security. https://t.co/tpOTWqM2ag
— Ned Price (@nedprice) August 12, 2018
Other claims by Omarosa's book have been emerging.
Slate reports that Omarosa writes that she was offered $15,000 in hush money that she didn't accept upon being fired, Trump thinks Donald Jr. is a “f**kup”, she once saw him swallow a piece of paper, and Trump once asked her if he should use his book The Art of the Deal for his swearing in instead of the Bible.
‘Manigault Newman claims Trump wanted to use his own business book at the swearing-in ceremony rather than the bible. “He asked me, ‘Omarosa, what do you think about me getting sworn in on The Art of the Deal?' ” Manigault Newman writes. “I said, ‘Instead of the Bible?' ” she allegedly said. “Yeah. The Art of the Deal is a bestseller!” Trump replied, according to her account. “It's the greatest business book of all time. It's how I'm going to make great deals for the country. Just think how many copies I'd sell—maybe a commemorative inauguration copy?!” She said he then played it off as a joke, but she knew he was serious.'
Kellyanne Conway said that Omarosa has undercut her own credibility in an interview on This Week.
Kellyanne Conway on Omarosa Manigault Newman's saying Pres. Trump is a "racist": "The first time I ever heard Omarosa suggest those awful things … are in this book, and I think that Omarosa, unfortunately, has undercut her own credibility" https://t.co/GlcWTIu29g #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/b5E0JMAU9Q
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 12, 2018
And Trump called her a “lowlife” during a photoshoot on Saturday.
Reporter: "Do you feel betrayed by Omarosa?"
President Trump: "Lowlife. She's a lowlife." pic.twitter.com/UeRgHSdYGJ
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) August 11, 2018
