Comics discussed the release of Omarosa Manigault Newman’s White House expose, which includes claims she has heard tape of Trump using the N-word

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Late-night hosts on Tuesday discussed the ongoing feud between former White House adviser Omarosa Manigault Newman and Donald Trump.

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Stephen Colbert

“America is still reeling from the troubling reminders that Omarosa is still out there,” Stephen Colbert began. “Her new book, Unhinged, dropped today. It’s highly anticipated, it’s filled with salacious, behind-the-scenes details, and it’s 30% off.

“It’s the literary equivalent of day-old sushi,” the host added. “The bombshell everyone is talking about is that Omarosa claims she heard the tape of Donald Trump on the set of Celebrity Apprentice saying the N-word.”

He continued: “If this shocking allegation is true, it would undeniably make some of his fans very happy. Others would go, ‘Eh, I don’t like that he’s a racist, but, you know, taxes.’”

Colbert then read Trump’s response to the allegation on Twitter, in which Trump claims NBC’s Mark Burnett “called to say that there are NO TAPES of The Apprentice where I used such a terrible and disgusting word as attributed by Wacky and Deranged Omarosa. I don’t have that word in my vocabulary, and never have.”

“Well, that settles it,” Colbert joked. “A guy called him and told him it’s not on tape.”

The host then read another tweet of the president’s, in which he calls Omarosa a “crazed, crying lowlife” and thanks General John Kelly for “quickly firing that dog”.

“That is so weird that Trump used dog as an insult,” said Colbert. “He should love dogs. You don’t have to pay to watch them pee.” He then noted other instances in which Trump’s used “dog” as an insult, in reference to David Gregory, Chuck Todd, Bill Maher and Glenn Beck.

“Omarosa continued her Trumpapalooza world tour this afternoon when she went on MSNBC to discuss details from her book and she spilled the tea,” Colbert continued, showing footage of Omarosa claiming Trump knew about the WikiLeaks hack of Hillary Clinton’s emails before their release.

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Colbert quipped: “Somewhere in Washington Robert Mueller is yelling, ‘spoiler alert!’”

Jimmy Kimmel

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel also used his monologue to discuss the Trump-Omarosa feud and allegations made in the former staffer’s new book.

“All hell is breaking loose in Washington as the battle between President Trump and his former adviser/apprentice contestant Omarosa rages on,” he began. “I’m not sure who I’m supposed to root for in this. It’s like Lord Voldemort v King Joffrey.

“Omarosa,” he continued, “put a new book out today in which, among other things, she called the president a racist, a bigot, and a misogynist. She also claims to have heard a recording of Trump using the N-word multiple times.”

Kimmel then shared Trump’s tweet in which he denies such a word exists in his vocabulary.

“He doesn’t have that word in his vocabulary, along with every other two-syllable word he doesn’t have in his vocabulary,” Kimmel said. “Omarosa isn’t the only former Apprentice contestant who claims she heard Trump make racist remarks. Penn Jillette, the magician, says he heard it, and his partner Teller, well, he says nothing at all.”

After reading the tweet in which the president calls Omarosa a “dog” aloud, Kimmel said: “Only Donald Trump would defend himself from being racist by saying something sexist.

“White House press secretary Sarah Applebee Sanders, she had a very bad day. She had to go out there and back the boss up today,” the host went on, showing video of Sanders saying “she can’t guarantee” the president hasn’t used the N-word and that she hasn’t “been in every single room”.

Kimmel eventually moved on to other claims made in Omarosa’s book, from the president’s nickname for Betsy DeVos (“Ditzy DeVos”), his supposed habit of drinking eight Diet Cokes a day, and the rumour that he keeps a tanning bed in the White House.

“Think of all the history future presidents will find in our White House,” Kimmel concluded. “The Truman balcony, the Lincoln bedroom, the Trump tanning bed.”