With the release of her book, Unhinged: An Insider’s Account of the Trump White House, and the airing of her surreptitiously-taped conversations with those in power, Omarosa Manigault Newman has seemingly turned on the man she once described as her “mentor.”
Reactions have run the gamut but they generally have one thing in common: that Trump’s once loyal “mini-me” now seeks revenge on her “creator” only to enrich herself through book sales.
From a Washington Post article:
“The Omarosa of popular imagination is in large part Trump’s creation, and that creation is wreaking havoc on the White House.” www.washingtonpost.com/...
Add in reactions from the African American community, as summed up in this AP piece:
Her falling out with Trump and her decision to call him a racist as she sells her new book — and in turn, his calling her a “dog” — have not been enough for many African-Americans to invite her back to the family picnic.
Too little, too late, many said.
“Her tell-all mea culpa won’t win her any brownie points with most blacks,” said Earl Ofari Hutchinson, author of the book “Why Black Lives Do Matter.” ″Their loathing of Omarosa is virtually frozen in stone. She’s still roundly lambasted as a two-bit opportunist, a racial sellout and an ego driven hustler.” www.apnews.com/...
I disagree.
In a society inherently sexist and misogynistic, dominated and controlled by a certain strata of white men, women are at a monumental disadvantage from birth. Especially those of us with the audacity to have aspirations — to use our talents and our intelligence with the goal of success in our careers.
As a white woman, I’m fully aware of all the ways my gender works against me in this society. For the Black women I’ve worked with, and those I count as friends, it is far, far worse.
Not only do Black women have to deal with ‘all of the above’ issues driven by sexism and misogyny, they suffer the added burden of navigating both overt and covert racism, in all of its forms, plus something else: the twisted interest of certain types of white men who see Black women as “the forbidden fruit.”
The phrase, “forbidden fruit,” was used by the very worst of my white male bosses who, for some bizarre reason, even though he declared to all I was the staff feminist, felt comfortable enough to tell me on the QT how the summer college intern, a young African American woman, triggered his unfulfilled sexual fantasies about “the forbidden fruit” – Black women.
After telling him, once again, I thought he was a pig – which, as always, amused him yet somehow endeared me to him – I took the young woman aside and told her to make sure she was never alone with the sick bastard. She assured me she had had his number from the instant she met him.
I see many similarities between this boss and Donald Trump. I worked for this sexist, racist man for five years. Choosing my battles, sometimes I challenged him, most of the time I silently tolerated him.
Why?
Because the position gave me the opportunity to build my resume, produce high-profile work, win industry awards for some of my work, and further develop my professional skills by observing him and other successful men in the “boys club.”
Does this make me a sell out? An opportunist? A manipulative bitch?
Frankly, I don’t see much difference between my choices and the choices of young white men who not only tolerate the antics of horrible bosses, but often cultivate relationships with them, as a way to climb the ladder of success.
Isn’t this exactly what Omarosa did: cultivated a relationship with a powerful white man to achieve success?
Should she be held to a higher standard, or judged more harshly, because she’s a woman? Because she’s Black? I don’t think so.
Before I drill down into the premise of this piece let’s look at:
Omarosa’s Formative Years.
In various interviews she’s revealed her father was murdered when she was seven years old and she was raised in the projects by a single mother of four who often relied on SNAP benefits to feed her kids.
Now, I believe I have a little insight into this because my father was killed when I was 15 and, along with my younger brother, I was raised by a single mom who worked as an underpaid salesperson.
It’s hard to describe how the trauma of my father’s death, combined with the constant financial stress, impacted and forever changed all of us. Still, even with this similarity in our backgrounds, I’m certain Omarosa’s family had it far worse than mine. My mother was white, had the advantage of owning a home when her husband died, and she only had to support and raise two kids into adulthood, not four.
Considering her personal background, to suggest Omarosa is ‘just like Trump,’ is ludicrous at every level. Even for those who believe they share some negative personality traits (I don’t believe they do), his traits spring from a life of ultimate privilege, hers from a life that put her on the outside looking in.
Why Omarosa Is Not & Never Was Trump’s Mini Me.
This idea that Omarosa is Trump’s creation – a mini-me he cultivated in his own image – makes me laugh out loud.
Like millions of others, I watched the first season of The Apprentice and I assure you Omarosa entered the Reality TV stage fully and completely formed in the image she alone created.
Not only that, she was the primary reason many people kept tuning in – to see what Reality TV’s worst-villain-ever would do or say next. And Trump had absolutely nothing to do with it.
This is a woman who earned a degree in Broadcast Journalism then later attended Howard University for a doctorate in Communications. Though she did not complete her doctorate, let’s take a quick look at how the Howard University website describes the program:
The department provides doctoral-level studies leading to the PhD which focuses on communication problems of importance in an emerging digital and multicultural world. The curriculum in Communication, Culture and Media Studies (CCMS) is designed to train scholars and academic leaders to contribute to interdisciplinary research in communication with a particular emphasis on multicultural and mediated communication.
The Media and Cultural Studies track seeks to answer increasingly complex questions about connections among individuals, media, and society…. This track is concerned with issues of power in society, including the ways in which media enter into power relations, convey political discourse, shape international relations, hinder or enable protest and dissent, and influence cultural expression and identity formation. gs.howard.edu/...
With this educational background, one could argue Omarosa had the talents and skills to follow a Joy Reid career path instead of taking the off ramp into the world of Reality TV. And there would be validity in such an argument.
But, to suggest Trump formed her, like a lump of clay, into the woman she is today is patently ridiculous. Anyone who watched The Apprentice could easily make the observations I made:
Omarosa has a keen mind and likely scores an IQ far above average. She has the ability to immediately process incoming information — especially when it comes to assessing people’s flaws and weaknesses. Then she instantly devises a strategy to leverage their flaws and weaknesses to her advantage — either through flattery and ego stroking to win them over, or caustic comments to throw them off their game, depending on the situation and her goal.
While many women bend over backwards to avoid being perceived as the proverbial bitch, Omarosa boldly embraces the bitch role in a calm, unflappable, laser-focused way.
The fact that she’s African American leads some to claim she’s a stereotypical “Black bitch” but, in my opinion, that simply reveals more about them, not her.
No — Trump didn’t create her and she’s no Trump mini-me. Omarosa has consistently used her skills, knowledge and talents in the same way to advance her career since she entered the public eye. One may dislike or reject the public persona she created and the path she chose to achieve her goals. But she is, across the board, her own woman.
Why I Think Omarosa Likely Hated Trump Since Day 1.
All of the above plus this: she has seen him behind the scenes and knows exactly what he’s capable of — which, after the pussy-grabbing tape, is clearly far worse than the horrors he reveals in public — and she’s fully aware of his power to dispose of her or destroy her at will. There is no way she ever truly “respected” such a man as a “mentor.” It’s far more likely she hated him, as I hated the boss I described above yet continued to work for him.
I have no doubt Trump used the N-word behind the scenes on The Apprentice, along with other vicious invective and sundry pussy-grabbing in word and/or deed. I have no doubt Omarosa was shocked and disgusted by him yet made a calculated decision to stay in his orbit for — yes — career opportunities.
Personally, I don’t consider her choice to do so different than many of the famous women who came forward in the #MeToo discussion and admitted they remained silent because their abusers had the power to advance (or destroy) their careers. I don’t recall any of those women being criticized as “opportunists.”
When Omarosa made the “bow down to Trump” remark on TV after he won the GOP nomination, my spidey-sense kicked in. It was over the top even for the renowned Reality TV Villain. My gut told me she knew her remark would win favor with Trump. She was right. Soon after, Omarosa was asked to join the Trump election campaign and had to sign an NDA.
When he won the presidency and created a top-paying position for Omarosa, she did two things I find significant:
She did not sign an NDA.
She entered the West Wing with her iPhone app on “record.”
It’s worth repeating: she entered the West Wing with her iPhone app on “record.”
Think about it — why would she make these recordings? Simply and solely to exploit an opportunity? I don’t think so. Opportunity was the cherry on top of a cake that Omarosa’s been baking a long time.
I think she made those recordings because Omarosa hates Trump’s guts, has always hated his guts, and she intended to come for him.
The fact that Trump didn’t see her coming is a testament to his misogynist, racist, rich white boy, ignorant blind spot. A blind spot I have no doubt Omarosa sized up the moment she met him.
Next time you see her interviewed on TV, pay attention to her eyes. They reveal it all.
I do not judge her. In fact, I applaud her. You go girl.
UPDATE:
After reading the comments this morning I’d like to clarify my intention. I’m in no way attempting to rehabilitate Omarosa, as one person implied.
She has made choices and decisions that have alienated people, especially in the Black Community. That’s on her. Any attempts at rehabilitation are her responsibility.
What I do find objectionable is how the media, true to it’s sexist leanings, is characterizing Omarosa as a “mini-me” crafted by Trump — some sort of pet that he trained who has now bitten the hand that fed her.
My point is, before her path crossed Trump’s, she had an extensive interest and education in broadcast media and communications. Her appearance on the first season of The Apprentice attests to the fact she entered the game (because that’s what it was — a game show like Survivor) with a TV persona she alone created. Love or hate that persona, it’s her creation alone and she has remained consistent to it all of these years.
My second point is the claim that she truly liked and respected the man, only turning on him because he had her fired from the White House. I find this sexist, too, in the vein of “a woman scorned.”
Just this morning, Omarosa was interviewed by Rev. Al Sharpton on MSNBC. She revealed she has been documenting her relationship with Trump for the last 15 years and has “the receipts.”
This is not a woman who suddenly got miffed because she was fired from the West Wing (and threatened by Gen. Kelly if you listen to that tape from the Situation Room). She has strategically collected evidence for years to, at some point, use against Trump when the moment was right. His winning the presidency was that moment and she took steps to ensure he would bring her into the West Wing enabling her to collect more evidence.
She has been patiently playing the long game with the goal of taking him down. In my opinion, this is proof she’s hated him since Day 1. She knows he was using her to gain credibility with the Black community (an ethics issue she needs to own). However he was arrogantly clueless to the fact he was her useful idiot before it was too late. I find the irony not only delicious but proof Omarosa is far from “a woman scorned.”
Immediately following her interview this morning, talking heads are discussing what she shared and continuing the “She learned how to use the media from Trump” story line.
However, as they rerun the clips, it’s interesting to note the language she chose to use. She’s not talking about herself or what he did to her. She’s repeating the fact that he has sullied the office of the president, is wholly unfit to serve, and that she has the evidence to prove it. This is Hillary Clinton’s charge against Trump: unfit to serve.
As a woman who earns my living as a marketing writer I understand the power of language and phrasing. I find her use of Clinton’s “unfit to serve” phrasing fascinating and, frankly, brilliant.
While Trump “uses the media” to vomit all over himself, Omarosa is using the media with impressive precision— light years better than Trump.
There was another nugget she worked into her most recent interview — that Trump’s intention was to dismantle and destroy the Obama legacy. And she again says she has the evidence to prove it. Stay tuned.