Omarosa Manigault is leaving the White House. After joining Donald Trump’s staff as part of his transition team in 2016, the White House announced on Wednesday, December 13, that the former Apprentice contestant will be departing in early 2018.
“Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities,” Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. “Her departure will not be effective until January 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service.”
Manigault, 43, served as the assistant to the president and director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison for a year. Her responsibilities included interacting with African-American and women’s groups, as well working on outreach to historically black colleges and universities.
The Surreal Life star was a big supporter of Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. In July 2016, she announced during an interview with MSNBC that Trump had named her as the Director of African-American Outreach for the campaign. Following the election, the administration announced Manigault as one of the nine members of the real estate mogul’s transition team.
“[His critics] will have to bow down to President Trump,” she said during a Frontline special in September 2016. “It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, whoever disagreed, whoever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe.”
Manigualt is best known for being a contestant on season 1 of Trump’s reality series, The Apprentice, in 2004, and then her appearance on All-Star Celebrity Apprentice in 2013. Even after being fired from both seasons, she maintained a friendship with Trump, 72, through the years.
The former reality star is now the second staffer to announce an upcoming departure for January 2018, after deputy national security adviser Dina Powell revealed last week that she plans to leave the White House early next year.
