Omarosa Manigault, in this February 1, 2017, photo with US President Donald Trump, says she saw things in the White House that made her "very uncomfortable" and "unhappy". Photo / AP
Omarosa Manigault, in this February 1, 2017, photo with US President Donald Trump, says she saw things in the White House that made her "very uncomfortable" and "unhappy". Photo / AP
One of US President Donald Trump's most senior African American aides has gone public with criticism of the White House after resigning amid reports of a blazing row at a Christmas party.
Omarosa Manigault, who appeared on The Apprentice, said she saw things while working for the president that made her "very uncomfortable" and "unhappy".
She did not deny claims she was concerned by Trump's stance on Charlottesville, where a woman died in clashes with white supremacists, and Roy Moore, the controversial Alabama senate candidate.
Manigault even hinted at producing a tell-all account of her time in the White House, declaring she had "a profound story that I know the world will want to hear".
African-American voters were credited with the Republicans' shock Alabama election defeat this week, in which Doug Jones, a lawyer who once prosecuted three high-profile Ku Klux Klan members, became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in the state in a generation.
He beat Moore, a Republican who was accused of making remarks condoning slavery in the final days of the campaign and who had been accused of sexual misconduct with underage girls.
Manigault's comments came after reports she was pushed out of the White House following a heated row with John Kelly, Trump's chief of staff, at a Christmas party on Tuesday.
Omarosa Manigault, the White House aide and former Apprentice star, will serve in the White House until January 20. Photo / AP
One prominent US reporter said Manigault demanded her "full access" to Trump be re-established and even "cursed" at Kelly in front of other guests.
Manigault admitted having a "frank" conversation with Kelly but denied rowing in front of others, asking: "Where are the pictures and videos?"
Her departure brings to an end the tenure of one of Trump's most well-known advisers who boasted a 14-year friendship with the president and fans across America.
Manigault has been described as "the reality TV star everyone loved to hate" for her back-stabbing appearances on Trump's TV show The Apprentice.
She was appointed director of communications for the Office of Public Liaison after the election and appeared to have the president's ear before a restructure limited her access.
But her behaviour irked some colleagues. On her wedding day, Manigault reportedly arrived at the White House in her dress with guests in tow for an unannounced photo shoot. There were also claims of feuding with other aides.
Some have greeted Manigault's departure, which comes into effect on January 20, with an eye-roll given her celebrity and the ill-defined role she had in the White House.
However, the veiled criticism she gave during an interview on ABC News risks damaging Trump politically given questions about his support among the African-American community.
Manigault said that "as the only African-American woman in this White House, as a senior staff and an assistant to the president, I have seen things that have made me uncomfortable, that have upset me, that have affected me deeply and emotionally, that has affected my community and my people.
"And when I can tell my story, it is a profound story that I know the world will want to hear."
Asked specifically if she was unhappy about Trump's response to white supremacist behavior in Charlottesville, Virginia, and his support for Moore, the controversial Alabama senate candidate, she did not deny the claims.
"Because I am serving until the 20th [of January], I have to be very careful about how I answer this," she replied, adding things she saw during her time in the White House had made her "very unhappy" and "very uncomfortable".
The US president is also reportedly changing his political operation after Moore, the controversial Republican candidate he publicly backed, lost the race to be US senator for Alabama.
