Republican pollster Frank Luntz denied Friday a salacious claim in a former White House staffer’s book that he heard President Trump use the n-word.
In Omarosa Manigault Newman’s new book, she reportedly claims to have heard from an associate that Luntz heard the president say the racial slur.
“I’m in @Omarosa’s book on page 149. She claims to have heard from someone who heard from me that I heard Trump use the N-word. Not only is this flat-out false (I’ve never heard such a thing), but Omarosa didn’t even make an effort to call or email me to verify. Very shoddy work,” Luntz tweeted.
Manigault Newman, who besides serving in the Trump administration was also a star on his NBC show “The Apprentice,” is releasing a tell-all book about her White House experience August 14. The title is “Unhinged.”
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She affirmed the book’s assertion on Saturday, tweeting back at Luntz, “@FrankLuntz yes on page 149 of #Unhinged I write about the conf call with Trump campaign spokeswoman @KatrinaPierson. She shared with us (@JasonMillerinDC and @LynnePatton) that you had info about n-word tape. I’m sure Kat will fill you in on that convo if you ask her nicely.”
Although Manigault Newman claims in the book that she heard second-hand about the alleged tape of Trump using the n-word, she told NPR this week that she heard it herself.
After becoming a frequent critic of Trump since leaving the administration, Manigault Newman’s claims are likely to be heavily scrutinized and have already earned denials from multiple people named.
Manigault Newman also claims in the book that Trump used a derogatory term to describe the half-Filipino husband of White House staffer Kellyanne Conway. George Conway denied that claim as well.
The White House released a harsh rebuke of the upcoming book, with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders saying, “Instead of telling the truth about all the good President Trump and his administration are doing to make America safe and prosperous, this book is riddled with lies and false accusations.”