Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman has named the person who may provide Democrats with the key to taking down President Donald Trump—the president's longtime personal secretary, Rhona Graff.
Speaking with MSNBC's Chris Matthews Tuesday, Manigault Newman talked about the new investigation into Trump's dealings launched by House Democrats, which saw document requests sent to 81 people and organizations close to the president.
Those contacted include some of Trump's closest advisers and family members. Matthews asked Manigault Newman whose testimony she thought Trump feared most.
"One name: Rhona Graff," she replied quickly. "She knows everyone. She knows the role they play. She knows who said what and when. She set up the meetings," Manigault Newman explained. "If she is called to testify, that will be the end of Donald Trump."
But Manigault Newman—a former Apprentice contestant who became close to Trump and worked at the White House before she was fired in December 2017—warned that Graff may refuse to answer investigators' questions.
"I wouldn't be surprised if she pled the Fifth," she said. "It wouldn't surprise me at all, because she's been fiercely loyal to the president of the United States."
Graff has worked for Trump for about 30 years, and for years was considered his "gatekeeper" as he ran his real estate empire from Trump Tower in Manhattan. And according to Politico, she has remained a key conduit for those seeking access, even after Trump became president.
Longtime political operative and Trump associate Roger Stone—currently facing several charges related to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election—told Politico in 2017: "I go through Rhona… She's a woman of excellent judgment who reflects her boss's views. She has to field requests from a lot of people."
Former campaign manager Paul Manafort, now awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to crimes uncovered in the Mueller investigation, also reportedly contacted Trump through Graff.
Matthews asked Manigault Newman what Trump actually feared, to which she replied, "I think he's afraid of failure."
"And he knows once he's impeached, that will be the most significant sign that he is truly a failure and that he has been running the biggest, greatest—and perpetuating the greatest fraud on the American people because he was not able, capable or prepared to be president of the United States."
Graff has already been interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in relation to Russian meddling in the 2016 election campaign. The Republican-led committee closed its investigation last year after declaring it found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow.
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