Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson reacted to the departure of Omarosa Manigault Newman on Friday saying that there’s no lack of diversity in his department.
“I would simply say that, you know, we’re focused on everybody. In my department at HUD, I don’t think you’ll find any lack of diversity. We just have to stay focused on what the issues are,” Mr. Carson said to NBC News.
The NBC reporter asked whether Mr. Carson was concerned about a lack of diversity with the departure of Mrs. Manigault Newman, both of whom are among the few African Americans who are, or have served, in the Trump administration. Mr. Carson’s aide can be heard in the background asking to “stay on topic” of HUD issues.
Mrs. Manigault Newman suggested in an interview with ABC News on Thursday that as an African-American woman, certain things she heard or saw in the White House made her “uncomfortable.” She declined to go into further detail until she formally resigns from her post in the coming weeks.
• Sally Persons can be reached at spersons@washingtontimes.com.
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