Thursday, December 14, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown native Omarosa Manigault Newman, one of Donald Trump’s highest-profile African-American officials, is leaving the president’s administration in January.
Manigault Newman, best known by her first name, didn’t respond to a Wednesday email from The Vindicator seeking comment on her resignation.
“Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday in a prepared statement. “Her departure will not be effective until Jan. 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service.”
Jan. 20 is the one-year anniversary of Trump’s inauguration.
The president bid her farewell, tweeting: “Thank you Omarosa for your service! I wish you continued success.”
Manigault Newman is among the most famous contestants from “The Apprentice,” the reality television show Trump formerly hosted. She was on the show’s inaugural season that began in January 2004. She’s also appeared on numerous other reality shows including “Celebrity Apprentice” twice.
She joined the administration as director of communications for the White House Office of Public Liaison, working on public engagement and community outreach, and being a high-profile surrogate for the president. She was paid $179,700 annually.
Some media reports, citing anonymous sources, say Manigault Newman was fired, escorted out of the White House and allowed to say she is resigning.
The U.S. Secret Service, which provides security for the president, tweeted Wednesday that it was not involved in her termination or her escort from the grounds. Some published reports said Secret Service officers had physically removed Manigault Newman from the complex.
The agency confirmed that a pass granting her access to the complex had been deactivated.
Manigault Newman had long been unpopular with several senior West Wing officials, including senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and White House chief of staff John Kelly.
Kelly, the retired Marine general who had made it is mission to tighten White House operations and streamline how Trump gets information, has told aides that he wanted to curtail the number of White House officials with ill-defined positions and responsibilities.
Manigault Newman, a Rayen School graduate, traveled to Youngstown with Trump on July 25 for the president’s rally at the Covelli Centre.
“It’s so incredible as a daughter of Youngstown to be with the president of the United States in my hometown,” she told The Vindicator the day before the visit. “Youngstown is so important to the president.”
She told The Vindicator in April 2016 that serving as Trump’s campaign director for African-American outreach has “been a journey. I’ve been around Donald going on 13 years. He is exceptional at everything he does. He’s an incredible mentor and friend to me.”
In that interview, Manigault Newman described Trump as “an impressive showman. He knows how to be the main headliner not only around the country, but around the world. This guy is a branding genius. He’s had billions of dollars of free media. There’s an art form to that.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.