Omarosa Manigault, a contestant on season 1 of Donald Trump's reality show The Apprentice, has been named the director of African American Outreach for the presumptive GOP nominee's campaign. She announced the news in an interview with MSNBC on Monday, July 18.
Omarosa, 42, spoke from day one of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, telling MSNBC she was "very proud" to serve in her new role. "It's really an extension of the work that the coalition has already been doing," she said, referring to the National Diversity Coalition for Trump, where she was vice-chairman. "And so I'm very happy to take up that cause for Donald Trump."
MSNBC host Craig Melvin then showed the former White House employee a poll indicating that zero percent of African American voters in Ohio said they'd vote from Trump. "It would seem as if you have your work cut out for you, to say the least," he teased.
The former reality star — who had a reputation for being a villain on The Apprentice in 2004 and in subsequent reality TV appearances — simply laughed off the results, saying that she had personally met and spent time with 300 "African Americans for Trump."
Asked about some of the real estate mogul's past comments on race — in April 2011, he said on a radio show that he had a "great relationship with the blacks," despite the fact that he has been accused of discrimination in the workplace — Omarosa was quick to come to his defense.
"It is a very difficult time for our country," she told Melvin. "But the good thing that I know, is that I know Donald Trump as a friend, I know his heart. I've known him for 13 years. You may read the headlines, I know his heart. I know the person that he is, and I know what he can do in this role to lead this country to a better and better place."
