CLEVELAND, July 19 (UPI) — Donald Trump‘s campaign on Tuesday denied accusations Melania Trump plagiarized part of her Republican National Convention speech from one delivered by Michelle Obama in 2008.
Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort told CNN on Tuesday morning the accusation is “just really absurd.”
The Trump campaign issued a statement Tuesday praising Melania’s speech at the convention but did not directly address the accusations.
“In writing her beautiful speech, Melania’s team of writers took notes on her life’s inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking. Melania’s immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success,” Jason Miller, Trump’s senior communications advisor, said in a statement.
On Monday, Melania told NBC that she wrote the speech mostly by herself.
“I read once over it, and that’s all. Because I wrote it … with as little help as possible,” she said.
Melania’s speech, when compared to Obama’s 2008 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, has been criticized for bearing striking similarities.
Here are the two passages, with identical or nearly identical language underlined:
Obama 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.”
Trump said: “From a young age my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life. That your work 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 life. 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.”
