Robinson: Can't take Omarosa's word, but what about her tapes?
It’s hard to take Omarosa Manigault Newman’s word for anything. But Lordy she has tapes, and they offer vivid proof that Donald Trump’s White House is part clown show, part nest of vipers.
Omarosa achieved single-name fame as a contestant on Trump’s show “The Apprentice,” where she performed with Shakespearean villainy — lying, cheating, backstabbing, viciously advancing her own interests and sabotaging her rivals. Trump evidently found all of this admirable, because he insisted on bringing her into his administration as a top-level adviser despite her utter lack of experience and qualifications. They deserve each other.
It is no surprise that she wrote a tell-all book after being fired. It’s shocking, however, that she managed to secretly record her dismissal by White House chief of staff John Kelly — an encounter that took place in the Situation Room, meant to be a super-secure bunker where the nation’s most closely guarded secrets can safely be discussed.
Omarosa’s recording of part of that meeting was aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” In it, Kelly is heard making what sounds very much like a threat:
“I think it’s important to understand that if we make this a friendly departure, we can all be, you know, we can look at your time here in the White House as a year of service to the nation. And then you can go on without any type of difficulty in the future relative to your reputation.”
If that wasn’t clear enough, Omarosa subsequently received a generous offer. She could receive $15,000 a month to perform vaguely defined duties for Trump’s re-election campaign. But she would have to sign a nondisclosure and non-disparagement agreement pledging not to say detrimental things about Trump, Vice President Pence or their family members.
She declined the offer but kept the documents she was asked to sign — and showed them to The Washington Post last week.
On Monday, appearing on the “Today” show, she revealed a recording of a phone call she said she received from Trump the day after she was fired. “Omarosa, what’s going on?” Trump is heard to ask. “I just saw on the news that you’re thinking about leaving. What happened?”
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“It’s shocking, however, that she managed to secretly record her dismissal by White House chief of staff John Kelly — an encounter that took place in the Situation Room, meant to be a super-secure bunker where the nation’s most closely guarded secrets can safely be discussed.”
