Capping off a lengthy panel discussion on Wednesday’s MSNBC Live With Katy Tur touting former Trump White House staffer Omarosa Maniguault Newman’s attacks on the administration in her new tell-all book, New York Times Political Reporter Nick Confessore referenced iconic movie villains to describe the public feud.
Confessore hoped that Omarosa’s unsubstantiated accusations against President Trump would include revelations about Russian collusion that could be used in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation:
If she has all these tapes, do her tapes include any firm evidence that the president knew in advance [about the Wikileaks release of Clinton emails in 2016]? That is a question that will take what is basically a ridiculous sideshow here and actually give it some importance. If Omarosa actually has any evidence that the president knew, it will point in the direction more of this question of collusion, it could help expand the scope of the Mueller inquiry.
However, he concluded: “Until then, you know, it’s like watching Darth Vader kill the Emperor in the third Star Wars movie.” A cinematic reference to Stars Wars villain Darth Vader being apprentice to Emperor Palpatine but later killing his evil master in Return of the Jedi.
Prior to Confessore’s declaration, anchor Katy Tur built the case that Omarosa was Donald Trump’s real-life apprentice:
And there are folks out there who would say, “Why are we listening to Omarosa?” Or who would say, “Listen, Donald Trump is just an employer scorned.” But you have to consider where Omarosa came from. Donald Trump, in many ways, created Omarosa on The Apprentice. That whole persona she has, as the villain. Look at The Washington Post today, “Manigault Newman perfected her flair for the sensational, her cult of personality and her savvy use of media while apprenticing for the master himself: Donald J. Trump.”
Los Angeles Times White House Reporter Eli Sotkols chimed in: “Omarosa and Donald Trump, they’re kindred spirits. There is something about her that he marveled at, her ability to create drama, the way she made things about her, and just her – the way she bullied people.”
At least liberal reporters from various news outlets can all agree on the same narrative.
Here are excerpts of the August 15 panel discussion:
2:05 PM ET
(...)
KATY TUR: And Kristen, if you’re still with us, Politico is reporting that people are terrified in the White House by what Omarosa might next reveal. They’re likening it to the same type of psychological warfare that the Clinton campaign emails did to the Clinton campaign, and the Podesta emails, did to the Clinton campaign during 2016.
KRISTEN WELKER: And I think part of the reason, Katy, that you are having such a sense of shock ripple throughout this administration is because those tapes go all the way back to the campaign. And because Omarosa has said over and over again that there are more tapes. And so, I think we can expect that at some point she will be releasing some more tapes.
And who are on those tapes potential? Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump. Those are among the names that have been floated. But she was here for nearly a year, Katy. So imagine, if she was taping Chief of Staff John Kelly in the Situation Room, how many other tapes she might have. Now, we don’t have an exact count, but she herself has said there are more. And again, that is sending serious ripple effects throughout this entire administration, Katy.
TUR: No doubt about that. Kristen Welker, I’m going to let you go because I know you have the briefing to get to. But let’s just keep going with this. And there are folks out there who would say, “Why are we listening to Omarosa?” Or who would say, “Listen, Donald Trump is just an employer scorned.” But you have to consider where Omarosa came from. Donald Trump, in many ways, created Omarosa on The Apprentice. That whole persona she has, as the villain. Look at The Washington Post today, “Manigault Newman perfected her flair for the sensational, her cult of personality and her savvy use of media while apprenticing for the master himself: Donald J. Trump.”
(...)
ELI STOKOLS [LOS ANGELES TIME, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER]: But you know, the irony of all of this is not really lost on any of us. As you pointed out, Omarosa and Donald Trump, they’re kindred spirits. There is something about her that he marveled at, her ability to create drama, the way she made things about her, and just her – the way she bullied people. She was a recurring character for years of The Apprentice and then came into the white house. He kind of knew what he was getting there.
(...)
2:10 PM ET
NICK CONFESSORE [NEW YORK TIMES, POLITICAL REPORTER]: And I think the critical question is the one you hinted at a bit earlier, Katy. If she has all these tapes, do her tapes include any firm evidence that the president knew in advance [about Wikileaks release of Clinton emails]? That is a question that will take what is basically a ridiculous sideshow here and actually give it some importance. If Omarosa actually has any evidence that the president knew, it will point in the direction more of this question of collusion, it could help expand the scope of the Mueller inquiry. Until then, you know, it’s like watching Darth Vader kill the Emperor in the third Star Wars movie.
(...)
