Heritage Foundation President Kay Cole James says in a new interview that she was “blocked” by Omarosa Manigault Newman from working in the Trump administration.
“It was Omarosa,” the president of the conservative think-tank told Politico’s “Women Rule” podcast.
“The way it was described to me is she approached the whole thing like it was ‘The Apprentice,‘” James continued. “So she looked around Washington and said, ‘OK, who do I need to get rid of first?’”
{mosads}James, who served on President Trump’s transition team, was tapped to lead Heritage late last year.
“I was very looking forward to an opportunity to serve in that White House in some capacity to help maybe on domestic policy, maybe in the Office of Public Liaison — in any of those capacities to get the job done,” James said.
The White House announced late last year that Manigault Newman resigned from her post as the communications director for the White House Office of Public Liaison.
James said the administration has become friendlier since Manigault Newman’s departure.
“The day she left, the doors of the White House flung open, and they said, ‘Come,’” she said.
Manigault Newman has since blasted the Trump administration, saying she would never vote for Trump again.
The White House fired back at Omarosa’s comments last month.
“Omarosa was fired three times on ‘The Apprentice,’ and this was the fourth time we let her go,” deputy press secretary Raj Shah said. “She had limited contact with the president while here. She has no contact now.”
–This report was updated at 10:16 a.m.