Arts & Entertainment
Omarosa says Americans ‘would be begging’ for Trump if Pence became president
the former White House aide also shares White House’s alleged DACA plan
Omarosa Manigault-Newman (Screenshot courtesy of Twitter)
Omarosa Manigault-Newman has been dropping comments about the state of the White House during her stint on “Celebrity Big Brother.”
On Monday’s episode, Manigault-Newman told her fellow houseguests that people should be more afraid of Vice President Mike Pence than President Donald Trump.
“As bad as y’all think Trump is, you would be worried about Pence,” Manigault-Newman says. “Everybody that’s wishing for impeachment might want to reconsider their life. We would be begging for days of Trump if Pence became president, that’s all I’m saying. He’s extreme.”
She added, “I’m Christian, I love Jesus, but he thinks Jesus tells him to say things. I’m like, ‘Jesus didn’t say that.'”
Manigault-Newman also commented on the White House’s plans for DACA.
“The DACA piece came as a result of (Trump) wanting his wall,” Manigault-Newman says. “Barack Obama’s administration said, ‘If you sign up, and basically out yourself — that you’re here illegally — we’ll protect you.’ All these people signed up — outed themselves, their families, people that were in hiding. Then Donald Trump got in and that was his little executive order. The crackdowns are happening, they’re aggressive and they’re intentional and they’re gonna get worse. But don’t get me wrong — the Obama administration was aggressive about deportation, too. But nobody talks about it.”
She also claims that the “roundup plan is getting more and more aggressive.”
Whether her comments are truthful are up for debate. Contestant Mark McGrath noted that he’s not sure if Manigault-Newman is speaking facts or game.
“You always have to remember, this is Omarosa, a world-class reality-TV villain,” McGrath says in his one-on-one interview. “Is it true? Is it game? Is it her story? Is it the real story? It’s Omarosa’s world, and I’m just livin’ in it.”
Watch below.
Truth, or gameplay? @OMAROSA reveals jaw-dropping details from her time inside the White House tonight. Tune in to #BBCeleb at 8/7c, or stream it live with CBS All Access: https://t.co/HVm9HNeMLQ pic.twitter.com/hC84F8QAOP
— Big Brother (@CBSBigBrother) February 13, 2018
The Freddie’s Follies drag show was held at Freddie’s Beach Bar in Arlington, Va. on Saturday, Jan. 3. Performers included Monet Dupree, Michelle Livigne, Shirley Naytch, Gigi Paris Couture and Shenandoah.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
a&e features
Queer highlights of the 2026 Critics Choice Awards: Aunt Gladys, that ‘Heated Rivalry’ shoutout and more
Amy Madigan’s win in the supporting actress category puts her in serious contention to win the Oscar for ‘Weapons’
From Chelsea Handler shouting out Heated Rivalry in her opening monologue to Amy Madigan proving that horror performances can (and should) be taken seriously, the Critics Choice Awards provided plenty of iconic moments for queer movie fans to celebrate on the long road to Oscar night.
Handler kicked off the ceremony by recapping the biggest moments in pop culture last year, from Wicked: For Good to Sinners. She also made room to joke about the surprise hit TV sensation on everyone’s minds: “Shoutout to Heated Rivalry. Everyone loves it! Gay men love it, women love it, straight men who say they aren’t gay but work out at Equinox love it!”
The back-to-back wins for Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein and Amy Madigan in Weapons are notable, given the horror bias that awards voters typically have. Aunt Gladys instantly became a pop culture phenomenon within the LGBTQ+ community when Zach Cregger’s hit horror comedy released in August, but the thought that Madigan could be a serious awards contender for such a fun, out-there performance seemed improbable to most months ago. Now, considering the sheer amount of critics’ attention she’s received over the past month, there’s no denying she’s in the running for the Oscar.
“I really wasn’t expecting all of this because I thought people would like the movie, and I thought people would dig Gladys, but you love Gladys! I mean, it’s crazy,” Madigan said during her acceptance speech. “I get [sent] makeup tutorials and paintings. I even got one weird thing about how she’s a sex icon also, which I didn’t go too deep into that one.”
Over on the TV side, Rhea Seehorn won in the incredibly competitive best actress in a drama series category for her acclaimed performance as Carol in Pluribus, beating out the likes of Emmy winner Britt Lower for Severance, Carrie Coon for The White Lotus, and Bella Ramsey for The Last of Us. Pluribus, which was created by Breaking Bad’s showrunner Vince Gilligan, has been celebrated by audiences for its rich exploration of queer trauma and conversion therapy.
Jean Smart was Hack’s only win of the night, as Hannah Einbinder couldn’t repeat her Emmy victory in the supporting actress in a comedy series category against Janelle James, who nabbed a trophy for Abbott Elementary. Hacks lost the best comedy series award to The Studio, as it did at the Emmys in September. And in the limited series category, Erin Doherty repeated her Emmy success in supporting actress, joining in yet another Adolescence awards sweep.
As Oscar fans speculate on what these Critics Choice wins mean for future ceremonies, we have next week’s Golden Globes ceremony to look forward to on Jan. 11.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
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