President Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump issued a fiery response to White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman on Thursday, saying that she betrayed her trust by secretly recording private conversations.
“I am absolutely shocked and saddened by her betrayal and violation on a deeply personal level,” Trump said, insisting an audio from a recording released Thursday doesn’t tell the full story.
Manigault Newman released audio to MSNBC that appeared to back up her claim that she was offered $15,000 a month by Trump to work for the president’s re-election campaign. The president’s daughter in law, who works for the campaign, appears to tell Manigault Newman that if she comes aboard, everything has to stay “positive.”
[Exclusive: Trump campaign seeks ‘millions’ against Omarosa for violating nondisclosure]
Manigault Newman told MSNBC that she interpreted Trump’s offer as essentially hush money to not say negative things about the president. The phone call came after the New York Times reported Manigault Newman might have information that could be damaging to the president.
Trump, wife to the president’s son Eric, called the tape a “fraud” because the two women had numerous discussions over several weeks about Manigault Newman talking a position on the campaign, she said.
In the statement released by the campaign, Trump said she “formed a sisterhood bond” with Manigault Newman “that is unlike any I have experienced in my life.”
Trump reached out to the former “The Apprentice” star after her firing because the Trump family still cared about her and was unaware as to why she had been fired, the statement said.
“That’s why I reached out to offer her a position with the 2020 Trump Campaign before we knew anything about the gross violations of ethics and integrity during her White House tenure,” Trump said.
Trump saved her most biting critique for last: “I hope it’s all worth it for you, Omarosa, because some things you just can’t put a price on.”
