Omarosa Magingault-Newman is the poster child for demonstrating why Donald Trump needs professional staff

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Trump Omarosa
[Photo Credit: AP Photo | Evan Vucci, File]

It’s no secret Donald Trump’s campaign and original White House staff was made up of what can best be described as a hodgepodge of questionable talent in staff and leadership. Clearly those on the front line from the beginning were relentless in their efforts, which combined with the right candidate at the right time in history made all the difference in the world but enough already with amateur hour. We need professionals not reality t.v. stars and want to be celebrities working in the White House.

The challenge however was that many lacked the professionalism or experience that would generally be required in a national election and the fallout from their flying by the seat of their pants has continued to be felt on a regular basis. Unforced errors that experienced campaign and policy experts would have prevented, or altogether seen coming, have haunted the administration since its earliest days.

The problem: The republican primary had so many talented and well known candidates that most A-list, experienced, well known and well respected campaign staff went to others before Trump got into the race. Very few people, including myself, took Trump’s candidacy seriously and most people around the process heaped on the criticism of Trump’s unorthodox and unconventional style and messaging.

So when the dust settled and Trump won the primary there were few people untainted with on the record comments or public declarations publicly speaking out about Trump. This left few people with the ability to integrate into his and his leaderships circle of trust for the general election or more importantly to move into critical positions within the White House. Multiple candidates for jobs within both the White House and at federal agencies found themselves having offers receded once Trump loyalists found disparaging remarks critical of him months and even years old.

That brings me to today, where the issue of Trump’s staff is back at the center of conversation due to Omarosa Manigault-Newman’s wild claims about the White House and the president while out promoting her upcoming book. She’s been on a tear about the goings on at 1600 Penn. Not that a week has gone by without something in the press about White House staff or members of the president’s cabinet. The media coverage has been relentless as incredibly high staff turnover, as reported by the Associated Press, has given them a lot to run with.

Manigault-Newman’s not just stirring the pot with her outlandish claims and the bad guy persona that everyone is used to seeing from her in her reality t.v. appearances — she’s breached one of the most fundamental staff qualities found in politics: loyalty. People within the political process know that trust is so critical to the job that even when you work with or for people you lose trust in, you recognize that you need to respect the office and the institution you’re working for and when your time is up you bow out gracefully. There is no higher honor than to be able to work in the West Wing of the White House.  Though to even to be in the EEOB or in an executive position at an agency  and to be able to influence national policy one is an honor. When Omarosa recorded her termination by John Kelly, as well as at least one conversation with the president himself, she crossed a line that she can never recover from and she proved that she never respected the people around her or the opportunity she was given.

This seems like a good opportunity to point out that what the issue with Omarosa’s presence in the White House was that she and others never seemed to grasp the tremendous opportunity that they were given and used it (or are using it) for selfish reasons. She, like several others before her (anyone remember Anthony Scaramucci?) didn’t take their roles seriously. The infighting of White House staff jockeying for access to Trump or opportunities to hurt personal political foes in the media with damaging leaks are indicative of a greater problem. Her firing and the fallout that is happening around her hiring to start with, is a good reminder that Trump needs more professional staff. Trump and Kelly need to clean house of the problem people, the leakers, the unprofessionals, the backstabbers, the disloyal and those who just don’t see the bigger picture. What’s more they need to bring in stronger more experienced people who can put their heads down and get their jobs done.
While the media and Trump opponents seek to vilify those who go to work for for this administration from the first day they walk into their jobs it hasn’t stopped those who know that to fill those positions is to heed a higher calling one of service to our nation. The left says Trump’s staff should be heckled and bullied and belittled. But the fact is that the White House is a hallowed place to work and the work that is done there is critical to every aspect of our nation from national security, to the running the economy, looking for healthcare solutions, addressing our nations failing education system and more. Those who discourage capable, competent people working in this administration are ultimately not doing a disservice to Donald Trump, or the Republican Party, but rather to every individual living on U.S. soil.
Trump is our President, much to the dismay of his opponents. Their constant attacks on those who serve in his administration, isn’t going to change the reality that Trump won the election. We as a nation need to take a step back and applaud those who take the jobs that put them on the front lines of criticism and scorn. We need to encourage those who are afraid to take that heat to step up and do so because their service, their wisdom, their professionalism is needed. As hard as it must be to work in such an chaotic environment the costs of having no institutional wisdom and having people like Omarosa on the front lines is too high.