Yesterday’s news cycle was all about the secret tapes Omarosa Manigault Newman recorded during her time in the White House and her allegations that Trump used the N-word. On the late-night shows, every host had a take on Omarosa’s claims, her new book, the alleged tapes, and Donald Trump’s reactions on Twitter yesterday.
Over on Late Night, Seth Meyers dedicated a portion of his “Closer Look†segment to the story. On Trump saying on Twitter that the news “will be working overtime†to make Omarosa “look legitimate as possible†with this story, Meyers offered up some thoughts: “You know what made Omarosa look legitimate? Putting her in the White House. You can’t hire people to work in the most powerful office in the world paid by taxpayers, and then when they turn on you say ‘That person’s a crazy liar, no one should trust them,’†he said. “I can’t wait until Trump’s forced to resign and President Mike Pence tweets ‘Please ignore this disgruntled employee, he has no credibility!’â€
As for Omarosa’s claim that Trump once ate a piece of paper in the White House? “I’m so torn on whether to believe this story. On the one hand, Omarosa has very little credibility because she spent years shilling for the world’s most notorious liar, Donald Trump. On the other hand, if your favorite food is well-done steak, how far away is paper really?â€
On the Late Show, Stephen Colbert also had some fun with the whole eating paper story: “Well, the hunt for Trump’s tax returns just got way grosser.†Colbert had a slightly different take on Trump’s tweet about the news “legitimizing†Omarosa, noting that there’s a tiny problem with how much of the media has been dismissing her as an unreliable figure. “Yes, she is a liar and a backstabber with no credibility — exactly like everyone else in the Trump administration. So don’t roll your eyes, okay?†he said. “The press can’t have it both ways — they can’t report on it and roll their eyes at the same time. She’s not below anyone else in the White House. She and General Kelly may have completely different pasts, but they have exactly the same future. You can never scrub off the Trump stank.â€
On the Daily Show, Trevor Noah welcomed Ronny Chieng to the desk to point out the absurdity of Omarosa being the focus of so much press for her book this week in the first place. “There is nothing more profitable than working for Donald Trump, okay?†said Chieng. “Because everyone who gets fired by this guy gets a book deal. I’m waiting for him to fire his chef so we can get a cookbook called 32 Burger Recipes a Fat Liar President Likes.â€
If you haven’t yet overdosed from late-night Omarosa takes, here’s what the Jameses had to say on their CBS and NBC shows, respectively: