Omarosa releases new tape where Donald Trump staffers discuss how to spin his use of N-word
Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman released a new tape on Tuesday which appears to show multiple Donald Trump staffers discuss giving a positive spin to an alleged videotape on which the Republican president can be heard using the N-word, reports state.
The recording reportedly shows Omarosa and other White House aides discussing how to handle the potential fallout from the videotape if it was released in public. The recording, which was obtained by CBS News, states that the video tape they were referring to was allegedly from Trump's time as host of "The Apprentice."
The audio clip appears to be of an internal call among Trump's staffers during his presidential campaign in 2016. The tape has three people conversing: Omarosa, former Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson and Trump's longtime family friend Lynne Patton, according to CBS. Patton is now a top official in the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The recording, however, does not state whether the three people involved in the conversation have personally seen the tape they are referring to. However, the audio suggests that the then-candidate Trump had acknowledged the usage of the racial slur to the participants of the conversation.
Pierson, in the recording, says: "I am trying to find at least what context it was used in to help us maybe try to figure out a way to spin it."
Patton, in response, says that she had asked Trump about the existence of such a tape and the Republican responded with a "no".
"I said, 'Well, sir, can you think of any time that this might have happened?' And he said no," Patton said.
And Omarosa immediately interjected with: "Well, that is not true." Patton then says that Trump has asked her how she thinks the situation should be handled.
"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,'” Patton said.
"He said — no, he said it. He is embarrassed," Pierson replies.
After the release of the recording, Pierson and Patton released a joint statement on Tuesday and said that they never had a call confirming that anyone "directly heard Donald J. Trump use derogatory language on this alleged tape." The duo, however, did not deny the existence of such a call with Omarosa.
The former White House aide has released the tapes in light of the release of her new book on Trump titled 'Unhinged: An Insider's Account of the Trump White House.'
Earlier, Omarosa had released tapes of her conversation with White House chief of staff John Kelly when she was fired in the Situation Room, and a follow up conversation with Trump himself discussing her firing.