On night one of the RNC, Donald’s wife Melania Trump took the stage to speak on behalf of her husband and his presidential aspirations. She delivered her oration with the pleasant seasoning of a beautiful accent and a tiny dash of familiarity. The internet almost instantly began to recognize the words as being very similar to a speech that current first lady Michelle Obama gave back at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. We have prepared and provided a transcript for comparison:
Michelle Obama DNC 2008:
“Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values; like you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you are going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect — even if you don’t know them and even if you don’t agree with them. And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values and to pass them on to the next generation because we want our children and all children in this nation to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.”
Melania Trump RNC 2016:
My parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life that your word is your bond, and you do what you say and keep your promise. That you treat people with respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And that is a lesson we need to pass on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8f9ZXHHdZ0
Trump’s campaign’s has simply denied that any plagiarism had occurred, calling the whole idea of it “absurd.” They don’t seem to be moving to hold anyone accountable for the “similarities” in the speech. CNN reports:
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign has no plans to fire anybody on the campaign or to take any disciplinary action against anyone for the Melania Trump speech plagiarism controversy, CNN learned Tuesday. As campaign chairman Paul Manafort indicated at his morning news conference, the campaign’s posture is to simply move on from this without addressing it any further.
Others believe it could be an attempt at sabotage from within the Republican party itself. Rare America‘s Matt Purple opines:
Don’t for a second blame Melania for this. Convention speakers spend weeks huddling with the best wordsmiths the party has to offer, professionals who don’t typically plagiarize or even auto-plagiarize stuff from their opponents. Is it crazy to think this was a deliberate act of sabotage, a coup at the banana-republic convention? In the post-Trump GOP, stranger things have happened.
What do you think? Is this plagiarism, sabotage, or just an incredible coincidence? Let us know on Facebook.
