Madeleine Westerhout, former Director of Oval Office Operations and former Executive Assistant to President Donald Trump, joined Fox News on Tuesday morning to discuss her new book and why she decided to write it.
The book, “Off the Record: My Dream Job at the White House, How I Lost It, and What I Learned,” hits bookshelves today and recounts how she lost her job after she disclosed confidential information that she knew about the Trump family to a group of reporters at an “off-the-record” dinner.
“So, you know what, I had a bad night and a major lapse of judgment cost me my dream job,” Westerhout said. “On a rare day off, after a couple of drinks by the pool, I accepted an invitation to an off-the-record dinner with four reporters and a White House colleague of mine. And at that dinner, I said some things that I didn’t mean and that I never should have said. And I deeply regret that but I take full responsibility for my actions that night and really regret that I hurt people that I care about very, very much.”
Westerhout said that it she wanted to write the book because of how dishonest the media has been about who the president is as a person.
“So this was something that I thought a lot about whether or not I wanted to put in the book and I ultimately decided that it was very important for me to be completely honest in this book. And so, what I reveal is that I did not vote for President Trump in 2016. I absolutely did not vote for Hillary Clinton,” Westerhout said. “But in 2016, you know, I had never met the president and everything I knew about him, I based off what the mainstream media told me. And it wasn’t until I got to know him and know his character that I realized how wrong I had been.”
“He is a very kind and generous man,” Westerhout continued. “He is a great leader and encouraging boss. And I cannot wait to cast my vote for him on November 3. And until then, there’s going to be no greater supporter of President Trump than me.”
“There is so much about the president that I think is misrepresented. I think the mainstream media really doesn’t treat him fairly and doesn’t report on him truthfully,” Westerhout continued. “And so, the one thing that I found so fascinating about President Trump is his deep admiration and respect for women. He promotes women. He surrounds himself with strong, intelligent women. He is married to one; he has raised two of them. And every interaction that I’ve seen and I’ve had with him has been just showing what — how much President Trump respects women.”
WATCH:
Madeleine Westerhout: "I did not vote for President Trump in 2016. … I had never met the president and everything I knew about him, I based off what the mainstream media told me and it wasn’t until I got to know him and know his character that I realized how wrong I had been." pic.twitter.com/ocyiGKYslB
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) August 11, 2020
TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED VIA FOX NEWS:
STEVE DOOCY, FOX & FRIENDS CO-HOST: President Trump’s former executive assistant now opening up about her time in the White House in a brand-new book that comes out today. It is called “Off the Record: My Dream Job at the White House, How I Lost It, and What I Learned” — revealing a side of the president, our next guest says, hardly any people ever get to see.
The author, former director of Oval Office operation, Madeleine Westerhout, joins us right now from L.A. Madeleine, good morning to you.
MADELEINE WESTERHOUT, FORMER DIRECTOR OF OVAL OFFICE OPERATIONS & FORMER EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Hi, Steve. Thanks so much for having me.
DOOCY: It’s great to have you. Congratulations on the book that comes out today.
Right in the title, you talk about it’s your dream job and you lost it. So we might as well just start right there.
WESTERHOUT: Yes.
DOOCY: What happened at that off-the-record meeting that apparently wasn’t so off the record?
WESTERHOUT: Yes. So, you know what, I had a bad night and a major lapse of judgment cost me my dream job. On a rare day off, after a couple of drinks by the pool, I accepted an invitation to an off-the-record dinner with four reporters and a White House colleague of mine. And at that dinner, I said some things that I didn’t mean and that I never should have said.
And I deeply regret that but I take full responsibility for my actions that night and really regret that I hurt people that I care about very, very much.
DOOCY: Right. And you had said some things about the Trump family and that suddenly made news, even though you assumed it was off the record — felt it was off the record — but somebody wanted to get that word out.
I know this is the first time you have publicly spoken on camera about this.
WESTERHOUT: It is.
DOOCY: Now, a couple of days ago you talked to the president because —
WESTERHOUT: I did.
DOOCY: — the book is coming out. And you revealed something to him about what you did in 2016 that given the fact that you worked at the RNC —
WESTERHOUT: Yes.
DOOCY: — I didn’t see coming in a million years.
WESTERHOUT: Yes. So this was something that I thought a lot about whether or not I wanted to put in the book and I ultimately decided that it was very important for me to be completely honest in this book. And so, what I reveal is that I did not vote for President Trump in 2016. I absolutely did not vote for Hillary Clinton.
But in 2016, you know, I had never met the president and everything I knew about him, I based off what the mainstream media told me. And it wasn’t until I got to know him and know his character that I realized how wrong I had been.
He is a very kind and generous man. He is a great leader and encouraging boss. And I cannot wait to cast my vote for him on November third. And until then, there’s going to be no greater supporter of President Trump than me.
DOOCY: Well, so you didn’t vote for him. You essentially got fired for those comments. And yet, the book has so much about Donald Trump that so many people don’t realize.
What’s one thing in “Off the Record” a lot of people don’t know about the president?
WESTERHOUT: There is so much about the president that I think is misrepresented. I think the mainstream media really doesn’t treat him fairly and doesn’t report on him truthfully.
And so, the one thing that I found so fascinating about President Trump is his deep admiration and respect for women. He promotes women. He surrounds himself with strong, intelligent women. He is married to one; he has raised two of them.
And every interaction that I’ve seen and I’ve had with him has been just showing what — how much President Trump respects women.
DOOCY: You know, and one of the things that — given the fact that you, essentially, were the — at 28 years old, you were the gatekeeper. You were the person who controlled who got to see the President of the United States and so, you’re right there.
WESTERHOUT: Yes.
DOOCY: And yet, you say 80 percent of the time, you’ll pick up a newspaper and you’ll read what supposedly happened or you’ll watch the news and it’s like they got it completely wrong. That’s not even close to what happened.
WESTERHOUT: Totally. I know, and that’s what I talk about in the book. It’s so crazy. If I could believe what I saw on the news, then I’m sure other people could. And I just wanted to get the truth out there and to show the American people the president that I know and love.
DOOCY: All right. Well, it comes out today, officially. It is called “Off the Record: My Dream Job at the White House, How I Lost It, and What I Learned.” Madeleine, what have you learned?
WESTERHOUT: I have learned a lot and one of the things I think I take most out of this experience is that there’s going to be bumps along the road — that’s inevitable. We’re all human.
I made a mistake and I decided that I wasn’t going to let that one night and the one mistake define me. And I’ve learned a lot about myself over the past — almost a year now. And as much as I regret that one night, I’ve learned a lot and I’m really grateful for the time to reflect on —
DOOCY: Yes.
WESTERHOUT: — my experiences and also on how I treated people.
You know, I think I was very, very close to a lot of powerful people and you can kind of get sucked up in that in Washington, D.C. And so, taking the time to reflect on how I’ve treated people and forgiveness, and just moving forward.
DOOCY: Well, we have all been curious to hear your story. It is available now.
Madeleine Westerhout, thank you very much for getting up so early out in L.A. where it is 3:34 in the morning. Thank you.
WESTERHOUT: It is. Happy to be here. Thanks so much, Steve.
DOOCY: You bet. Thank you.