Omarosa Manigault Newman released another secret recording that appears to show advisers discussing tape of Donald Trump using the “n-word”—an allegation the former aide made in her new book “Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House.”
According to Manigault Newman, Trump allegedly used the racial slur repeatedly on the set of “The Apprentice,” but acknowledged she never heard the tapes for herself.
Now, CBS News has tape from Manigault Newman of Trump’s advisers during the 2016 campaign allegedly discussing the president’s use of the n-word.
POTUS says former White House staffer @Omarosa lied when she called him a racist who has said the N-word on tape. But a new recording, obtained by @CBSNews overnight, seems to back up Omarosa's story that several Trump advisers discussed an alleged tape during the 2016 campaign. pic.twitter.com/tV3R6P2TvE
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) August 14, 2018
The three aides discussing it are Katrina Pierson, a spokeswoman for the campaign; Lynne Patton, an assistant to Trump’s son Eric; and Jason Miller, chief spokesman for the campaign.
″I am trying to find out at least what context it was used in to help us maybe try to figure out a way to spin it,” Pierson says on the tape.
Patton then described a conversation she had with then-candidate Trump about making the slur.
Patton: "I said, 'Well, sir, can you think of anytime where this happened?' And he said, 'no.'"
Omarosa: "Well, that is not true."
Patton: "He goes, how do you think I should handle it and I told him exactly what you just said, Omarosa, which is well, it depends on what scenario you are talking about. And he said, well, why don't you just go ahead and put it to bed."
Pierson: "He said. No, he said it. He is embarrassed by it." (CBS)
CBS’ Gayle King asked why Manigault Newman secretly recorded the conversation and she responded: “Because the truth matters.”
“If I didn’t have this tape, you all would probably be wondering if in fact they did talk about it,” she said.
King told Manigault Newman, however, that her release of this tape, as well as her dismissal by Chief of Staff John Kelly and a conversation with Trump, seems like “blackmail.”
“I’m not asking for anything,” Manigault Newman responded. “I’m telling my story in Unhinged.”
Pierson denied the call took place on Monday, telling Fox News’s Ed Henry it “did not happen. Sounds like she is writing a script for a movie."
Trump fired back Tuesday morning against “crazed, crying lowlife” Manigault Newman, praising Kelly for “quickly firing that dog!”