In an embarrassment to Donald Trump, his wife Melania was on Tuesday accused of plagiarism in her first address to the Republican National Convention that is set to declare him as the party’s presidential candidate, with critics saying parts of her speech were lifted verbatim from remarks First Lady Michelle Obama made in 2008.
Melania's much-applauded debut in front of a Republican crowd also drew negative attention for two passages matching nearly word-for-word with the speech that Michelle delivered at the Democratic National Convention eight years ago.
Ironically, Melania had taken the centre stage to defend her husband, praising him as a ‘compassionate’ man who would ‘fight for the country’.
In her address, the 46-year-old wife of the real estate tycoon said: “From a young age, 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 we need to pass those lessons 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.”
On August 25, 2008, Michelle Obama had said: “And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're 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 for them.”
The issue was first flagged by journalist Harrett Hill.
‘Side-by-side comparisons of the transcripts show the text in Trump’s address following, nearly to the word, the would-be future first lady’s own from the first night of the Democratic convention in Denver nearly eight years ago,’ CNN reported.
However, the Trump campaign defended Melania, terming the allegations ‘absurd’ and saying her address used ‘fragments that reflected her own writing’.
Moreover, Trump who introduced his wife at the Cleveland Convention said that her speech was absolutely ‘incredible’.
‘It was truly an honour to introduce my wife, Melania. Her speech and demeanor were absolutely incredible. Very proud!’ Trump tweeted.
Trump Campaign manager Paul Manafort told CNN: ‘There was no cribbing from Michelle Obama’s speech. These were common words and values that she cares about her family and things like that. She was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that. To think she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.’
IMAGE: Presumtive Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump gives a thumbs up with his wife Melania after she concluded her remarks at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, on Monday night. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters
