As is widely known, the former White House aide Omarosa Newman released a tell-all memoir called “Unhinged” in the middle of August. In it, she details her experience working under Trump at the White House, attesting to Trump’s narcissistic, erratic behavior and even claiming that he has used the N-word.
As one might expect from Trump, he has responded to Omarosa’s manifold accusations by blasting off on Twitter—calling her “wacky” and “deranged” and saying that he tolerated her in part because she said good things about him (since that’s a job qualification in Trump’s world). In media interviews, Omarosa has responded to his vitriol by continuing to reassert her stances on Trump. She has also slowly released audio recordings of conversations from the White House, such as a tape in which Trump discusses Russia.
Time will tell how the tension between her and him might change. For one, the man who apparently told Omarosa about Trump using the N-word has come out on Twitter, insisting that he never actually heard Trump say such a thing. Omarosa could deny him, and Trump could deny Omarosa’s denials. Applying this back-and-forth to other claims that Omarosa has made—such as her view that he blatantly lies in the tape on Russia—the battle between Omarosa and Trump could last indefinitely. I think that the media and others should do everything to demand concrete evidence of action, from any source that might have it.
Moreover, while the tapes might help people better assess the president, it is hard to say if Omarosa has made a good call by releasing them, in light of the fact that she has compromised national security. It is also hard to say the extent to which she will attract followers. Although “Unhinged” debuted as a bestseller, she has positioned herself as a disruptive power. A woman who can change from praising Trump to maligning him, she has also dared to break from protocol and convention, hoping to unearth who he really is. Just like the fact that she breaks rules, it might also be unsettling that she sometimes argues in interviews to make her point. Furthermore, she doesn’t fall clearly on either side of the political divide. Omarosa is an anomaly, one with the potential to consistently surprise all of us. I find her remarkably strong-willed and intelligent: I look forward to what she will do and reveal.