Omarosa Manigault (Facebook/The Wendy Williams Show)
After revealing her role in the Donald Trump administration’s transition team in an open letter, Omarosa Manigault has been officially confirmed for the position. The administration announced the news in a statement Thursday, Dec. 15.
While Manigault wrote for The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, the former “Apprentice” contestant described her position as an extension of her campaign role as African-American outreach director.
“I’m on the presidential transition team in what is called national engagement,” she said. “He has given me a personal directive that with the 4,000 jobs we need to fill, he wants his administration to be the most diverse in history.”
Just one day before Manigault’s piece was published, Trump announced his appointment of Ben Carson as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, despite the surgeon’s inexperience.
Manigault, also known simply by her first name, later detailed her friendship with the president-elect, which began during her time on his NBC reality show. She said he helped her through times of tragedy and allowed her to achieve success, claims that she used to deny Trump’s racism.
“Truly, I am living the American dream because of Donald Trump,” she wrote. “Look at my career, the wealth and exposure that I’ve had. It’s very difficult to make the argument that Donald Trump doesn’t like Black people and Black women.”
According to Politico, Manigault, who previously served as Trump’s senior advisor, is one of several additional officials who joined the transition team. Others include Dutchess County Republican Chairman Mike McCormack, Nassau County Republican Chairman Joe Mondello, Erie County, New York, GOP Chairman Nick Langworthy, American Samoa House delegate Amata Coleman Radewagen, Onondaga County GOP chairman Tom Dadey, Dutchess County Sheriff Butch Anderson, Oracle CEO Safra Catz and John Sweeney, who formerly served as a New York state representative.
