White House Ousts Staffer Who Bragged Of Good Relationship With Louis Farrakhan
Omarosa Manigault Image by Getty Images
By Aiden Pink December 14, 2017
White House staffer and former reality TV star Omarosa Manigault-Newman announced her resignation on Wednesday in a departure that turned dramatic when she was forced to deny that she was fired and escorted off the premises by the Secret Service.
Manigault-Newman, who worked on African-American outreach for President Trump, her former “Apprentice” boss, had been criticized by the Anti-Defamation League for bragging of close ties with Louis Farrakhan, the African-American leader who has been accused of anti-Semitism for decades.
“I think any of your audience would know that I’ve never shied away from having an open, and I believe a good, relationship with Louis Farrakhan,” Manigault told Chicago radio station WVON in May. “I would look forward to receiving that invitation and sitting down with him.”
“Louis Farrakhan should not be made to feel welcome by anyone in the White House,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt responded in a statement. “Such an overture would only serve to legitimize his long record of conspiratorial and hateful views toward Jews. We hope that the administration will make it clear that Farrakhan and his anti-Semitic organization will find no supporters in the White House.”
Manigault-Newman, who technically still works for the White House until January 20, said in an interview on “Good Morning America” that reports that she had an argument with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly during the White House Christmas party, was fired, tried to go into the White House residence to talk to President Trump personally, and was kicked out by the Secret Service were “100% false.”
Contact Aiden Pink at pink@forward.com or on Twitter, @aidenpink
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