Omarosa Manigault Has Resigned From Trump's Administration

One of the most prominent women of color in Trump's administration is out: On Wednesday morning, the White House released a statement announcing that Omarosa Manigault had resigned from Trump's administration. "Omarosa Manigault Newman resigned yesterday to pursue other opportunities," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "Her departure will not be effective until January 20, 2018. We wish her the best in future endeavors and are grateful for her service."

Widely regarded as a reality TV villain, Trump's appointment of Manigault — whom he had worked with and mentored on The Apprentice and its spinoffs — was controversial from the get-go. Details of her exit are thin on the ground, but prolific White House reporter April D. Ryan tweeted that it may or may not have had something to do with Roy Moore's loss to Doug Jones the evening prior.

"I am hearing from several sources there was a lot of drama at the White House last night and it wasn’t about the Alabama election," Stay tuned," she wrote on Twitter. "This is not the first firing for Omarosa from Trump! ... I heard there was drama and she was escorted out of the building and off campus."

Fox News ran the headline "Omarosa Manigault Newman fired by Trump administration" for its story on the news, adding credence to Ryan's belief that Omarosa was fired or asked for her resignation, as opposed to leaving of her own volition.

Manigault was married in May, and controversially took her large bridal party on an extensive tour of the White House. According to Politico, this caused a stir within the White House, and it's unclear whether Manigault (now Manigault Newman) was given the all-clear to do so. She was banned from posting the photos online for security reasons, according to Politico.

Manigault had had a somewhat unclear role in the White House. Although she was hired as an outreach coordinator for the White House Office of Public Liason, her appointment had sparked tension among other White House staff, it was widely reported. In September, the New York Daily News reported that her days in the White House were "numbered."

In particular, summer appointment and now-Chief of Staff John Kelly, who famously took a more heavy-handed approach to the White House cabinet, was reportedly no great fan of Manigault. "She's patient zero," a source told The Daily Beast.

According to the Associated Press, Manigault is just one of several planned departures as the White House enters 2018. The administration announced last week that another cabinet official, Dina Powell, was leaving.

It's anyone's guess whether Moore's stunning loss in Alabama will play a role in the White House shake-up. Certainly, Trump's passionate backing of Moore — who had been tipped to easily take the Alabama senate seat prior to being accused of sexual harassment by at least five women who were teenagers at the time — has left the administration defensive and embarrassed.