Background
Omarosa is known mononymously as "Omarosa" (hard O). The woman people love to hate. She just won an arbitration case against Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The case was to silence her book "Unhinged", for violating the campaign NDA she once described as "draconian" and never actually signed. By the way, it's unprecedented to have White House staffers sign NDAs. The arbitrator described the NDA as "too ambiguous and vague". She still has another DOJ case left against him. This one about a late document she attempted to file but he blocked her from filing. She describes being sued by the President of the United States as "intimidating.”
On September 28th, in an interview on Roland Martin Unfiltered she said:
"All those individuals giving donations to Donald Trump and going out to his rallies to support his funding- the money to reimburse my attorney, my legal fees, and all my costs which is well in the seven figures is going to come from those low dollar donors. He continues this grift...He continues to take from these followers acting as if he's going to support them or try to improve their lives. Instead he's utilizing it to fund all of these frivolous lawsuits."
Omarosa Manigault Newman
Who is Omarosa?
Well that depends on who you ask. A New York Times bestselling author, reality TV icon, ordained minister... Nonetheless she is highly controversial. Haters of her reality tv persona may say an evil, opportunistic, villain. But that oftentimes happens with many African-Americans in corporate America who are misunderstood. (Being reduced to merely a caricature).
Admirers may say she's a real-life Olivia Pope beating White men at their own game. Especially after she secretly recorded countless conversations while working in the White House to cover her own back. But in my opinion I just see an ambitious, educated, successful, Black woman. One who has both captured and polarized the American public since 2003.
She's actually worked in the White House twice. Once in the Clinton White House as a scheduling correspondent, then again in 2017 (for eleven months) as a Senior Advisor to President Trump and Spokeswoman for the Office of Public Liaison. She earned $179,700 , making her one of the highest-paid White House staffers. She's stated that she had a team of four lawyers, (three of whom were other African-Americans). According to a recent interview with Zerlina Maxwell, she also revealed that she feels "relieved" because if she lost, she would have to pay Trump's legal fees: To the tune of three or four million dollars!
Omarosa "Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House"
Published in August 2018, "Unhinged" is a memoir that delves beyond Omarosa's time in public service. It discusses her childhood growing up in the hood (Youngstown, Ohio), surviving stabbings, losing both her brother and father to violence. Also, her education and personal life dabbling between the spheres of politics and entertainment. It's really admirable. It's the perfect wrap-up to the evil villain narrative so many people associate with her.
The book provides a greater insight into who Omarosa really is. After reading her memoir multiple times, it's clear that she is a complex woman. In the book, she explained that she knew realistically that the first season winner of "The Apprentice" would not be a Black woman.
Explaining that "I didn't lack confidence, I just knew how things worked." Her friend who was a big wrestling fan told her that, "there's always a hero and a heel. The heels are more memorable and sell more merchandise." Thus, she should be either starting a fight, in a fight, or breaking one up. He advised her to "win without winning" Meaning that she should be where the action is and be memorable. With a unique Nigerian name like "Omarosa,” much sass and smarts this wasn't much of a chore.
Anyway, what do y'all think? Is it ever okay to use the Government or your public office to go after political rivals?
