A secretly recorded conversation between White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman aired Sunday on Meet the Press. On the tape, one of many Omarosa reportedly recorded during her time working for President Donald Trump, Kelly is firing Omarosa.
"We're gonna talk to you about leaving the White House," Kelly is heard saying on the secret recording. "It's come to my attention over the last few months that there's been some pretty, in my opinion, significant integrity issues."
On Meet The Press Omarosa told host Chuck Todd that she had no choice but to record private conversations. "This is a White House where everybody lies... you have to have your back."
WATCH: Omarosa releases secret tape of John Kelly firing from White House #MTP pic.twitter.com/KtNEiuPkqz
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) August 12, 2018
"If I did not have this recording, people would still believe the false, incredible story that I was running around the White House," Omarosa told Todd. "... So yes I recorded myself and I have no regret about it."
Omarosa has been making the media rounds, along with some heavily disputed claims, to promote her new book. In Unhinged: An Insider Account of the Trump White House, Omarosa says she recorded multiple conversations with Trump and other top White House officials. However, in the few days since excerpts from the book were released, her credibility and those claims are taking a significant hit.
In the book Omarosa claimed she heard Trump use the n-word, but after subsequent questions she changed her story to say she's heard a tape of Trump using n-word. The GOP and critics have pounced on her shifting story to discredit her entire book.
"Omarosa has been on her book tour for all of ten minutes, and she's already being exposed as a terrible liar," the GOP said in a statement. "Right out of the gate, she contradicted a core narrative in her book."
New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman asked Trump about the claims in Omarosa's book Saturday, he responded by calling the former Apprentice contestant a "Lowlife. She's a lowlife."
In the press pool today, I asked @realDonaldTrump if he had a response to Omarosa. He held hand to mouth, as if to whisper: “Lowlife. She’s a lowlife.”
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) August 11, 2018
In another bold claim, Omarosa said Trump asked her "what do you think about me getting sworn in on The Art of the Deal," instead of the Bible.
