As much of the nation came to grips with the election of a businessman whose outlandish rhetoric and twitter ranting didn’t stop his roll into the White House, the transition team immediately began the hiring process for Cabinet picks and administration officials loyal to Donald Trump.
Some pundits have called that process like something out of reality TV (surprise!), full of suspense and drama not unlike the fishbowl experience of shows like “The Real World.”
Enter Omarosa Manigault.
The former “arch-villain” of Trump’s former reality show “The Apprentice,” Omarosa is set to become Trump’s director of communications at the Office of Public Liaison.
But if that bores you, let’s take a look at her time on Trump’s TV show:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=qgiWk4zWnJo
Back in 2004, Omarosa was a young entrepreneur looking to beat down 15 other competitors for the honor of becoming Trump’s big business apprentice, presumably to learn firsthand The Art of the Deal.
The first Apprentice
After infighting with Ereka, another contestant on the show, Omarosa was villainized on Season 1 through acerbic cut-downs and cunning tactics that led her to be named by E! as reality TV’s no. 1 bad girl. Jet Magazine also called her a “woman America loved to hate,” and she became a highlight of a show that was being watched by tens of millions.
Season 1 of The Apprentice (YouTube/Screen grab)
It made Donald Trump even more famous, and Omarosa — a former Al Gore communications staffer — became somewhat of a celebrity at the time. Although she was eventually fired following the closure of Week 9 in the series, Omarosa stayed in The Donald’s good graces and the pair kept contact over the years.
Her screen presence was also good enough that other shows in the increasingly popular reality format were pining to get her on their programming, such as NBC’s “Fear Factor.”
The Celebrity Apprentice
https://youtube.com/watch?v=d_dCfKeuDUY
Fast forward to 2013, and Omarosa joins “The Celebrity Apprentice” alongside the likes of “The Worm” Dennis Rodman, rapper Lil’ Jon, and actor Stephen Baldwin.
The tension between co-host Piers Morgan and Omarosa was evident from the beginning, and eventually she resorted back to her old cunning self in feuds with Lil’ Jon and Rodman, and when she couldn’t pull in the cash hoards that they did Trump told her: You’re fired.
Work in the White House
The 42-year-old Omarosa, who has a PhD in communications from Howard University, is officially set to become Advisor to the President and director of communications at an obscure office — probably similar to President Obama’s Office of Public Engagement.
She has compared herself to one of Obama’s closest confidantes, saying, “As Donald says, I am his Valerie Jarrett.”
While she may have butted heads with just about everyone on “The Apprentice,” her prior experience in Washington and closeness to Trump could prove valuable as his communications teams get set for a busy 2017 that will see executive actions aplenty and a unique relationship with the press unfolding in an unprecedented first term.