Omarosa says she was ‘very lonely’ at White House due to ‘lack of diversity’

Omarosa Manigault Newman, President Trump’s outgoing director of communications at the Office of the Public Liaison, says she “was very lonely” in the White House due to its lack of diversity. 

“It has been very, very challenging being the only African-American woman in the senior staff,” Manigault Newman told ABC News‘s “Nightline” on Thursday. 

“There was a lack of diversity that I will acknowledge,” she added, saying it “was very lonely.”

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The former “Apprentice” contestant left the White House on Wednesday under disputed circumstances. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Manigault Newman submitted her resignation, but reports emerged she was fired by chief of staff John Kelly. 

The U.S. Secret Service denied claims that it had to escort Manigault Newman out of the building, but confirmed it had deactivated her security pass.

American Urban Radio Network’s April Ryan reported Wednesday that Manigault Newman was fired, “cursed a lot and said she helped elect President Trump.” And CBS News said she tripped White House alarms trying to gain access to the residence after being fired.

Kelly allegedly told Manigault Newman that Trump had signed off on her firing, but she told ABC News he found out about through watching the news. 

“[Trump] was sad to learn about my departure,” she said, adding, “I regret that he found out about it on the television.”

Manigault Newman said earlier Thursday that she saw things during her time as an assistant to the president that made her “uncomfortable.” 

“I regret that we haven’t reached the level of diversity in this administration that I strove to see,” she said, a comment that Sanders rebuffed in a Thursday briefing. 

“We have a really diverse team across the board at the White House,” Sanders told reporters. “We always want to continue to grow the diversity here. Something that we strive for every day is to add and grow to be more diverse and more representative of the country at-large, and we’re going to continue to do that.”

The White House said Wednesday that the aide’s official last day will be Jan. 20, one year after Trump’s inauguration.