Hours after White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that former Apprentice contestant-turned-White House staffer, Omarosa Manigault Newman, had resigned, CNN's April Ryan was already contesting that announcement.
Wednesday Ryan reported that Omarosa had actually been escorted out of the White House, after cursing out General John Kelly in a “high drama” firing. Multiple media outlets picked up her reports:
According to multiple sources Omarosa did not resign. She was even escorted out of he building and off campus.
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) December 13, 2017
Okay the White House still contends Omarosa signed a resignation letter. But Gen Kelly Kicked her out will high drama with the Minister offering vulgarities and curse words as she was escorted out of the building and off campus
— AprilDRyan (@AprilDRyan) December 13, 2017
On CNN Newsroom with Brooke Baldwin that afternoon, political commentator Angela Rye cheered and gushed in excitement over the news:
“Brooke, I'm going to do what you can't do and April and Simone are too good of people to do, and that’s just going to be petty for a minute. AAH!” Rye yelled in excitement.
The rest of the CNN panel chuckled as Rye continued:
“Bye, girl, bye. We did it already on the podcast April but bye honey, you have never represented the community. You are skin folk. We don't own you like Zora. Goodbye. Good riddance. Goodbye. Deuces! Out!” Rye ranted.
Ryan tried to distance herself from Rye’s glee. “Angela, you know I have much love for you, but I don't delight in anyone's demise,” she stated.
“I'm not delighting her demise, I wish her the best, but, AAH!” Rye burst out again in glee.
“I don't think-- I can just speak for myself, maybe some other folks, that folks weren't necessarily sad to see Omarosa go today,” Symone Sanders offered.
“No!” Rye shook her head in agreement.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo continued spreading the unconfirmed information on his Twitter Thursday, gossipping that President Trump wouldn’t “speak” with Omarosa, so he had to say goodbye on Twitter instead:
interesting - is it true potus would not speak with omarosa? is that why he is saying goodbye via twitter? latest on @NewDay https://t.co/BnfOQo3mT5
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) December 14, 2017
was it reported that they were fired and escorted out and that they werent allowed to speak with him? those circumstances are what make the tweet curious, no? https://t.co/Mef4G0eHN3
— Christopher C. Cuomo (@ChrisCuomo) December 14, 2017
But at least one of these reports had already been debunked hours before, from the Secret Service itself, who tweeted that they did not escort Omarosa out of the White House grounds:
The Secret Service was not involved in the termination process of Ms Manigault Newman or the escort off of the complex. Our only involvement in this matter was to deactivate the individual's pass which grants access to the complex.
— U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) December 13, 2017
The former reality TV star herself fought back against CNN’s reporting on Good Morning America Thursday, claiming that she not only resigned respectfully, but also was not escorted by Secret Service. She added that April Ryan had a “personal vendetta” against her.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: A lot of speculation about you leaving the White House. Let's get straight to it. What happened?
OMAROSA: I resigned and I didn't do that in the residence as being reported, John Kelly and I sat down in the situation room, which is a very secure, very quiet room in the white house and we had a very candid conversation and I wanted to make the one-year mark that was one of the goals that I set out to and then get back to my life.
STRAHAN: So you resigned. You weren't fired as reported?
OMAROSA: No. You know, I like to hear all of these interesting tales, but I have to tell you that they are 100% false. One of the things I asked of those people who are making those assertions since they assert that I did it so publicly is where are the pictures or videos? If I had confronted John Kelly who is a very formidable person it would garner enough attention for anyone in the room to at least take a picture or a video or something. The assertion that I would do that in front of 600 guests at a Christmas party and no one has reported that except for one individual who has a personal vendetta against me, and so I have to tell you completely false, unverified reporting...
Ryan defended her reporting on CNN Newsroom Thursday morning, saying she used used “credible sources” and was not the only one to report these stories:
“I'm not the only one. I may have broken the story, but CBS, ABC, Wall Street Journal, New York Times... I'm not the only one. I have no vendetta. I am a reporter who is covering the beat,” Ryan told CNN’s John Berman, Thursday.
Ryan also claimed that the Secret Service tweets somehow contradicted what Omarosa said to Michael Strahan on Good Morning America that morning.
[The Secret Service tweets] totally contradicts everything she said on Good Morning America about whether it's a resignation versus termination, if she was taken off the campus. Secret Service didn't but it sounds like someone else did. And the fact is, she does not have a hard pass from the Secret Service at this time.
But CNN wasn’t the only network to tout their disgust for Omarosa. Following her interview with Good Morning America’s Michael Strahan this morning, ABC anchor Robin Roberts dismissively summed up her feelings about Omarosa’s departure, snarking, “Goodbye Felicia!” to end the segment.
