š¦ Programming note: Iāll be publishing editions of WTFJHT on Monday and Tuesday this week. After that, Iām taking a short break for the holiday and will be back in your inbox on Monday, December 1st (unless, of course, something truly wtf-y demands otherwise). Thanks, as always, for reading and letting me be part of your news routine. Iām glad youāre here. -MATT
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Day 572: Lowlife.
Today in one sentence: Omarosa released audio of Trump campaign aides discussing how to handle the potential release of a tape where Trump used the "n-word"; Trump called Omarosa "that dog" and a "crazed, crying lowlife"; Sarah Huckabee Sanders can't "guarantee" that Trump hasn't been recorded using the n-word; and Trump allegedly called Trump Jr. "a fuckup" after he released his emails about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting.
1/ Omarosa released audio of Trump campaign aides discussing how to handle the potential release of a tape where Trump used the ān-word.ā Trump claims he never said the word, tweeting that āI donāt have that word in my vocabulary and never haveā and that Omarosa āmade it up.ā The audio appears to corroborate Omarosaās claims that Trump aides were aware of the recording and talked about how to handle it. Trump tweeted that, according to āThe Apprenticeā producer Mark Burnett, the long-rumored tape of him using a racial slur doesnāt exist. (CBS News)
.@MarkBurnettTV 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 donāt have that word in my vocabulary, and never have. She made it up. Look at her MANY recent quotes saying....
ā Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
2/ Trump called Omarosa āthat dogā and a ācrazed, crying lowlifeā after she released a recording of his campaign aides in October 2016 discussing how to handle a tape on which Trump is said to have used the n-word. In recent weeks, Trump has attacked several African-Americans, calling Don Lemon āthe dumbest man on television,ā questioning the intelligence of LeBron James, repeated said Maxine Waters has a ālow I.Q.,ā among others. (New York Times / Washington Post)
When you give a crazed, crying lowlife a break, and give her a job at the White House, I guess it just didnāt work out. Good work by General Kelly for quickly firing that dog!
ā Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 14, 2018
3/ Sarah Huckabee Sanders canāt āguaranteeā that Trump hasnāt been recorded using the n-word. Sanders also insisted Trump was not using racially coded language when he disparaged Omarosa, who is African-American, as a ādog.ā (ABC News / CNN / Washington Post)
4/ Trump called Trump Jr. āa fuckupā after he released his emails about the 2016 Trump Tower meeting with a Russian lawyer, according to Omarosaās forthcoming book. The book says Trump erupted in anger after Omarosa mentioned that Trump Jr. had released screenshots of his email exchanges with Rob Goldstone on Twitter. āHe is such a fuckup,ā Omarosa claims Trump said. āHe screwed up again, but this time, heās screwing us all, big-time!ā (New York Daily News)
5/ The Trump campaign filed an arbitration action against Omarosa, alleging that her tell-all book broke a 2016 confidentiality agreement. Manigault Newmanās book, āUnhinged,ā portrays Trump as bigoted and racist and questions his mental capacity. Hours after the campaign filed the arbitration action, Manigault Newman declared: āI will not be silenced,ā ā[I] will not be intimidated,ā and āIām not going to be bullied by Donald Trump.ā The Trump campaign hired attorney Charles Harder in its arbitration fight. Harder is best known for representing wrestler Hulk Hogan in his sex tape lawsuit against now-defunct gossip site Gawker. (Politico / Associated Press / Washington Post / CNBC)
- White House officials were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements that prevents them from writing tell-all books once they leave the Trump administration. The clause was embedded in the White Houseās two-page non-disclosure agreement that prohibits top aides from disclosing confidential information in the form of books without Trumpās permission. If aides violate those terms, the non-disclosure agreement stipulates that they would be required to forfeit any royalties or earnings to the U.S. government. (Politico)
6/ Paul Manfort sent recommendations for senior White House positions to Jared Kushner in late 2016. Manafort sent Kushner a recommendation to appoint the chair of the Federal Savings Bank, Stephen Calk, as Secretary of the Army around the same time that Manafort received the first part of what would be $16 million in loans from Calkās bank. He also suggests two other appointees: Pat Sink and Vernon Parker. āThe 3 indivituals (sic) are people who I believe advance DT agenda,ā Manfort wrote in an email to Kushner. āThey will be totally reliable and responsive to the Trump White House.ā That same day, Kushner responded: āOn it!ā (Politico / Bloomberg)
7/ Manafortās lawyers declined to call any witnesses to defend him against charges of bank and tax fraud, resting their defense without presenting their own evidence. Manafort is letting the case go to the jury because he and his lawyers ādo not believe that the government has met its burden of proof.ā (New York Times / ABC News)
poll/ 66% of Americans think Robert Mueller should try to complete his investigation before the midterm elections. 70% believe Trump should testify under oath in Muellerās investigation and 34% approve of Trumpās handling of the Russia investigation, compared to 55% who disapprove. 56% say Trump has interfered with the investigation. (CNN)
poll/ 31% of Americans like Trump as a person; 51% dislike him. (Quinnipiac)
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