'The bully has met his match': Trump loses NDA case against former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman

Former President Donald Trump has lost in an effort to enforce a nondisclosure agreement against former White House aide and The Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault Newman, The New York Times reports. Manigault Newman is also the author of Unhinged, an unfavorable tell-all about her time in the Trump administration.
"Donald has used this type of vexatious litigation to intimidate, harass and bully for years," said Manigault Newman in a statement. "Finally the bully has met his match!"
The decision, handed down on Monday, calls for the former aide to collect legal fees from the Trump campaign, which filed the case soon after Unhinged was published. The campaign claimed Manigault Newman had violated a nondisclosure agreement signed during the 2016 campaign "stipulating that she would not reveal private or confidential information about [Trump's] family, business or personal life," per the Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, the arbitrator in the case claimed "the definition of the type of comment protected by the nondisclosure agreement was so vague that it had been rendered meaningless," writes the Times. He went on to argue that the information Manigault Newman had shared was barely privileged, and said the agreement "effectively imposes on Respondent an obligation to never say anything remotely critical of Mr. Trump, his family or his or his family members' businesses for the rest of her life."
Trump cannot appeal the decision "other than on the basis of fraud" against the case arbitrator, leaving him with little additional recourse. Read more at The New York Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Store closings could accelerate throughout 2025
Under the Radar Major brands like Macy's and Walgreens are continuing to shutter stores
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: February 20, 2025
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Who is actually running DOGE?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House said in a court filing that Elon Musk isn't the official head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency task force, raising questions about just who is overseeing DOGE's federal blitzkrieg
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firings
Speed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talks
Speed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?
Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
The end of empathy
Opinion Elon Musk is gutting the government — and our capacity for kindness
By Theunis Bates Published
-
What is Donald Trump's net worth?
In Depth Separating fact from fiction regarding the president's finances is harder than it seems
By David Faris Published
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security files
Speed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How will Keir Starmer pay for greater defence spending?
Today's Big Question Funding for courts, prisons, local government and the environment could all be at risk
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published