Omarosa turns panel at NABJ into trainwreck: livetweet play-by-play
Omarosa Manigault, who holds the title Director of Communications, White House Office of Public Liaison, was added at the last minute to a panel discussion on police brutality at the National Association of Black Journalists’ convention in New Orleans. It did not go well.
The Grapevine reported:
Her announced appearance apparently created an uproar among black journalists attending the event. Page Six reports that Nikole Hannah-Jones, a journalist with the New York Times, was scheduled to moderate the panel that also was to feature Valerie Castile and Sandra Sterling, as well as Jelani Cobb of the New Yorker. However, both Hannah-Jones and Cobb dropped out of the panel, and Ed Gordon stepped up to fill in for Hannah-Jones as moderator.
Sam Sanders livetweeted the fiasco.
OMG this #NABJ17 panel with Omarosa is SO tense.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
The panel moderator literally just told Omarosa that she can’t railroad his panel. People are literally pacing on the stage.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Moderator asking Omarosa what she’s doing 2 mitigate Trump’s messaging on police brutality. She says she can’t comment on her convos w/prez
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
But the tone is just crazy. Like, the mood on this stage is toxic. Omarosa did say recent Trump comments on police roughing up ppl r wrong
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Three people in the audience have stood and turned their backs on Omarosa at this #nabj17 panel.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Another panelist just said to Omaraosa, a lot of ppl may be critical of her because “a lot of people just don’t know what you DO.”
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
This Omarosa panel at #NABJ17 is a train wreck. More in the audience standing and turning their backs. Others just walking out.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Moderator asks Omarosa whether police brutality will be an issue “on the front burner” for the White House. Omarosa says it already is.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Omarosa now answering a #nabj17 question on how White House will respond to police violence by riffing on Pell grants.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Interesting backstory on this #nabj17 panel with Omarosa: the original panelists pulled out: https://t.co/HzbFZMvoh5
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Other panelists now questioning Omarosa themselves. Sniping on stage getting nasty. #nabj17
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Omarosa just told this moderator, “Shame on you.” His response literally included, “so here’s what you’re not gonna do…” #NABJ17
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Gotten so tense at this #NABJ17 panel that Omarosa has relinquished her mic to a conference organizer, who’s trying to salvage it all.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Conference organizer urges audience to look at all sides of issue. Moderator responds by saying it’s foolhardy to not ask Omarosa abt Prez
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Conference organizer and moderator arguing over what the panel should be, meanwhile OMAROSA HAS LEFT THE STAGE #NABJ17
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
Panel now over. I need a drink.
— Sam Sanders (@samsanders) August 11, 2017
You can find additional coverage at okayplayer.com.
