this is "nightline." >> tonight, omarosa unplugged. the former white house staffer releasing a secret recording she calls a conversation between her and president trump. today calling him a racist. a dramatically different tune from when we spoke to her in december. >> i would never work for someone who i believed to be a racist. >> making shocking claims about the first family in her new book. the president lashing out. >> lowlife. she's a lowlife. >> can the white house do anything to stop her? >> i fear no one. plus, luke's lure. one of country music's biggest breakout stars. but luke holmes is gaining attention and a hurricane of love from fans.

♪ you hit me like a hurricane for what he isn't releasing. now he's using social media to shape his music. >> i put a little video out, what do you think about this. >> but first the "nightline" 5. number 1 in just 60 seconds. (sound of footsteps) (sound of car door opening) (car door closes) (sound of engine starting) ♪ ♪

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good evening. i'm deborah roberts. thank you for joining us. former white house staffer omarosa manigault newman is coming out swinging against president trump, releasing what she says is a secret recording of their conversation. she's also accusing him of lying and of being a racist. it's a major change in tune from when i spoke to her back in december, just days after being fired from the white house. >> are you under an obligation that you need to be loyal to the president? >> the only loyalty and obligation i have is to god. >> reporter: president trump may have once called her his loyal friend, but tonight omarosa manigault newman doesn't exactly sound friendly toward her old boss. >> he is truly a racist. >> reporter: the former white house staffer now turning on the administration and the president she's called a friend for 15 years. releasing audio she secretly recorded, claiming the president is a racist who useed racial slurs. in her new book "unhinged" which

abc news obtained she says president trump had been recorded using the n word while working on "the apprentice." on nbc's "meet the press" she went further, saying she's heard the tape herself. >> i heard his voice, as clear as you and i are sitting here -- >> you have heard the tape. >> i heard the tape. >> since publication of this book. >> absolutely. ? so you know it exists. >> i know it exists. it was confirmed. what i feared the most. that donald trump is a con and has been masquerading as someone who is actually open to engaging with diverse communities. >> lowlife. she's a lowlife. >> reporter: and trump firing back on twitter. "wacky omarosa. she never made, it never will. she begged me for a job, tears in her eyes. people in the white house hated her. she was vicious but not smart." adding tonight that he was contacted by the creator of "the apprentice" mark burnett. trump tweeting that he called to say there are no tapes of the "the apprentice" where i used such a terrible and disgusting word. i don't have that word in my vocabulary and never have. she made it up.

manigault newman left the white house back in december. this morning she released audio on nbc's "today" show of what she claims to be the president calling her the day after she was fired. >> omarosa, what's going on? i just saw on the news that you're thinking about leaving. what happened? >> general kelly -- general kelly came to me and said you that guys wanted me to leave. >> no. i -- nobody even told me about it. nobody. you know, they run a big operation, but i didn't know it. i didn't know that. [ bleep ]. i don't love you leaving at all. >> reporter: trump appearing to not know of her firing, though on "meet the press" on sunday manigault newman says he was indeed aware. >> i've talked to him subsequently, and he said he delegated, "i delegated." so he knew. >> reporter: she says she recorded chief of staff john kelly in the secure situation room as he was firing her, claiming he locked her in. >> i'm only going to stay for a couple of minutes. these are lawyers. we've got to talk to you about

leaving the white house. there are pretty significant legal issues that we hope don't develop into something that will make it ugly for you. >> is the president aware of this? >> don't -- let's not go down the road. this is a non-negotiable discussion. >> i don't want to negotiate. i never talked -- never had the chance to talk to you, general kelly. so if this is my departure i'd like to have at least an opportunity to understand. >> we can talk another time. this has to do with some pretty serious integrity violations. so i'll let it go at that. so the staff and everybody on the staff works for me, not the president. >> reporter: senior administration officials telling abc news that manigault newman was fired for misusing government resources and mistreatment of fellow staff members. on "fox & friends" the white house slamming the former staffer. >> her character, her integrity had been impugned beyond measure. the thoft doinging? like that to a fellow employee not to mention the leader of the

free world is completely disgraceful. >> reporter: white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders adding "this book is riddled with lies and false accusation." >> when i say donald you say trump. donald. >> reporter: manigault newman hinting at having more tapes. while recording in the situation room or white house may violate protocol, it is not illegal. >> you have to separate out rules from law. she seems to have violated white house rules. those are rules that can get you fired. violating the law gets you imprisoned. and it doesn't seem to me that what she did so far has crossed over into a violation of law. >> donald trump has a reputation for not telling the truth. so over the years people have learned the only way to pin him down is to record him. as >>ep trere other shocking claims in the book. manigault newman discussing trump's relationship with

daughter ivanka writing "based on my observations their relationship goes up to the line of appropriate father-daughter behavior and jumps right over it. i believe he covets his daughter." >> omarosa's loyalty is to herself. it behooves her to write a salacious book like this because she is fueled by the attention. >> reporter: it's all a stunning reversal for the woman i sat down with last december days after her departure. >> do you think this president is race snift. >> absolutely not. i would never sit nor work for someone who i believed to be a racis racist. >> reporter: and she assured us the president was sad to see her go. >> is he upset you're no longer going to be on his team? >> he was sad to learn of my departure. i assumed that general kelly had told him about the resignation, and i regret he found out about it on the television. >> do you respect general kelly? >> oh, absolutely. i respect the contribution that he's made to this nation. >> reporter: it's just the latest chapter in manigault newman's long complicated history with donald trump.

once portrayed as the villain on his reality show "the apprentice," she's called trump a friend ever since he first fired her back in 2004. >> omarosa has to go. you're fired. >> reporter: she brought her penchant for a fight into politics, becoming the white house director of communications for the office of the public liaison, one of the highest-pied white house staffers, bringing in nearly $180,000 a year. manigault newman was the highest-ranking african-american in the white house. her departure leaving a conspicuous absence of diversity in a white house already lacking it. from senior officials down to interns. >> who is the most prominent high-level adviser to the president on the west wing staff right now? >> african-american? >> yes. >> i would say that -- first of all, you're totally not covering the fact that our secretary of housing and urban development and world-renowned -- >> i'm asking you about the white house staff. i'm asking you about the people the president is with every day.

>> he's -- well, the president works with secretary carson every day. he's trying break the back of the -- >> who there is in the white house staff right now? >> we have jarron, who's done a fabulous job. >> the bottom line is there is very little diversity on the white house staff. jarron smith, he is a special assistant to the president. he does work on the white house staff. he works for the vice president. but he is at a significantly lower level than omarosa. >> reporter: the white house has reportedly asked staffers to sign non-disclosure agreements, or ndas. trump today tweeting "wacky omarosa already has a fully signed non-disclosure agreement." but manigault newman says she didn't sign an nda and the recordings she's released thus far were not classified. so releasing them is not a crime. but that could change. >> i wouldn't be surprised if the white house tries to classify as much information relating to omarosa as possible

so that if and when she releases anything else they say that's classified information, now we can charge you with a crime. >> are you worried about this administration? >> i fear no one. i fear no man. my relationship with god allows me to not fear anyone but him. up next, country music singer luke combs, a sensation not just on stage but on social media. ♪ ♪ hit me like a hurricane cane ♪ of proof. woman 1: proof of less joint pain... woman 2: ...and clearer skin. woman 3: this is my body of proof. man 2: proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis... woman 4: ...with humira. woman 5: humira targets and blocks a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further irreversible joint damage, and clear skin in many adults.

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luke combs might be topping the charts for his new songs, but he's finding new ways to connect with fans, engaging them in the process of creating music and writing songs through social media. abc's adrienne bankert sat down with him for a songwriting session. >> reporter: in the rolling hills of west virginia thousands have come to the state fair. >> ah! >> reporter: here to see one of country music's newest breakout stars, luke combs. ♪ i've had >> my job to tut on a good show for you and make sure the songs are good and make sure i can sing every ni ♪ >> reporter: the sold-out crowd knows every word of the unreleased song "beer never

broke my heart." first shared by a fan on social media. ♪ ♪ a longneck ice cold beer never broke my heart ♪ >> thanks for coming, guys. >> and luke is all about relating to his fans, sporting a trucker hat and fishing shirt at every show. >> it's not about how cool my clothes are or how famous people think i am. like it's really they've spent their hard-earned money. a lot of those folks who don't have a lot of money. >> a lot of country music there. >> reporter: we met up with him at the mercury lounge, where he played his first new york city gig. since then the 28-year-old has skyrocketed to country fame. dropping back-to-back number one hits. "when it rains it pours." ♪ oh, lord, when it rains it pours ♪ ♪ and it hit me like a hurricane ♪ and "hurricane." one thing you have done is leaning on your audience, or your followers, as a focus

group. >> there is nothing else without fans. and so i've taken the songs and put them out when i write them and put a little video out saying what do you think about this or what do you think about that. ♪ hit me like a hurricane >> reporter: he tested that hit on youtube in 2015. >> how did you feel when "hurricane" hit number one? >> it was awesome. i think that was the first time i was like oh, this is going to happen i think. it was like man, i really don't want this to stop. ♪ 17 don't think that much about life ♪ ♪ you're just living >> reporter: country music was not originally part of the plan. his song "she got the best of me" captures his rise. ♪ she got the best of me >> growing up we were super middle-class. i always tell people i had everything i needed but not everything i wanted. i'd never been on an airplane till i was 25. >> reporter: he didn't even pick up the guitar until he was 21. >> i mean, i didn't really listen to country music at all. and when i got to college i got

introduced to a guy named eric church. when i picked up the guitar i was like man, if that guy's from here i think i can do it. >> reporter: if there was a soundtrack to luke combs, singing around the house, singing around the shower. >> vince gill. brooks & dunn. as i got older singing what all kids in 1990 were singing was backstreet boys, 'n sync sfwlp wait a minute, luke combs was singing backstreet boys? can you give me a line? >> if you're watching this thing and you're trying to tell me you didn't listen to backstreet boys you're lying. >> can you give me a line? >> what if i go full 'n sync? >> i would love that. ♪ god must have spent a little more time on you ♪ >> all right. yeah. >> look at that. >> that's what i'm talking about. >> reporter: back on the road in west virginia. >> what if you do it seems like yesterday you left. >> reporter: we sat in on a tour bus songwriting session. >> feels like yesterday.

>> when it comes to the songwriting i'm super, super perfectionist. the small words, like the should this be a but or an and or an or. like that stuff is super important. >> i think that's what i enjoy most of it, is kind of the camaraderie. ♪ you're beautiful, crazy >> reporter: his songs are personal. "beautiful crazy," written about his girlfriend nicole hocking, hit number one on itunes across all genres. >> that got me some serious brownie points. that was before we were like officially dating. >> that sealed the deal. >> i think so. i hope so. >> reporter: it's an hour from showtime and luke's getting in the zone. >> step one of the evening, guys, is always a nice mixed beverage. always important. i always like to throw a hat like to the crowd, you know.

today's show we're going black jeans, which requires black boots and a black hat. so running low on the black hats. so today we're getting nascar country, music from the fast lane. that's what the people are getting tonight. >> a lot of stuff going on here. ♪ >> reporter: the band game-plans for the show by their homemade bar cart. luke wants each performance to feel fresh. >> just be on the swivel tonight about if i do something weird don't be like what's he doing. ch, ch. if i go out, someone's got a beer or something. you know what i mean? >> one, two, three! ♪ oh, i got the ♪ wre gonna load it in, whiskey shot till 2:00 a.m. ♪ ♪ and i'll do another show >> reporter: two days later

luke's at new york's madison square garden opening for jason aldean's high noon neon tour. it's exhilarating and emotional. just last year he was on stage watching aldean perform in las vegas when shots rang out. >> you know, it's one of those things you don't love to relive it, i guess, but it will always be a part of you a little bit. as much as you'd like to forget, it you don't want those people to be forgotten either. it makes you appreciate what you do a whole lot more. because it all could be gone. especially that night it could have been gone for any of us. i'm definitely blessed to be out here and still being able to do this. and sing and change people's lives in a positive way. >> i've been trying to see him forever. this is the first time he's here. >> i drove 300 miles just to see luke combs. >> wow. >> just to see him sing. feeling. >> enjoy it. >> i will. >> all right.

make it count. >> reporter: with his go-to jack and diet in hand luke takes the stage. every man's country star. and as he says, giving the fans what they want. ♪ while living your dream, have you thought of a next dream? >> like i said, i want to give the folks what they deserve. you know, i think they deserve my best. and i want to give them my best. and i want to make sure they get it. ♪ sitting at home all alone trying to fall asleep ♪ >> reporter: for "nightline" i'm aid ree a adrienne bankert in new york. ♪ coming up, stranded on a unicorn? just wait till you see this magical caught on camera rescue.

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lake over the weekend. a floating unicorn. but here's where this fairy tale takes a twist. the five women riding the unicorn became stuck in the weeds. fortunately, they were rescued by a passing sheriff's deputy who used some rope skills to pull everyone to safety. unicorns may not be real, but this rescuer definitely turned into a knight in shining armor. thanks for watching "nightline." and as always, we are online at our "nightline" facebook page. have a great night.

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