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---
title: Donald Trump Jr Speechwriter Says He Reused Lines For Speech
description: Donald Trump Jr used phrases in a speech at the Republican National Convention that were similar to phrases published in a May article.
canonical: https://time.com/4414279/donald-trump-jr-speechwriter-says-there-was-no-plagiarism/
author: Will Drabold
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article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2016-07-20T04:02:05.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-10-06T09:42:24.276Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Donald Trump Jr Uses Phrases From Conservative Writer
og:description: Donald Trump's oldest son used phrases similar to those in a May article.
og:url: https://time.com/4414279/donald-trump-jr-speechwriter-says-there-was-no-plagiarism/
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twitter:title: Donald Trump Jr Uses Phrases From Conservative Writer
twitter:description: Donald Trump's oldest son used phrases similar to those in a May article.
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# Donald Trump Jr Speechwriter Says There Was No Plagiarism

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kSqkeKZu.m3u8" -->
## Video: Meet the Trump Son Speaking at the Convention Tuesday

[Watch (HLS stream): Meet the Trump Son Speaking at the Convention Tuesday](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/kSqkeKZu.m3u8) (2:42)

![Meet the Trump Son Speaking at the Convention Tuesday](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/kSqkeKZu/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2016-07-20. Donald Trump Jr.’s speech at the Republican convention Tuesday night won’t be the first time he’s stumped for his father._


by 

[Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/)


## Will Drabold


Jul 20, 2016 4:02 AM UTC

by 

[Will Drabold](https://time.com/author/will-drabold/)


## Will Drabold


Jul 20, 2016 4:02 AM UTC

Donald Trump Jr. used multiple sentences in a convention speech Tuesday night that were similar to phrases published in an article in _The American Conservative_ in May.

But the author of the article says nothing was stolen from his work. That’s because he was an author of the convention speech.

“I was a principal speechwriter for the speech,” F. H. Buckley, a law professor at George Mason University, wrote to TIME. “So it’s not an issue.”

The phrases, <a href="

> [](https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/755601024908300288)

“>first reported by _The Daily Show_, were written by Buckley in a May 2, 2016 article entitled [“Trump vs. the New Class.”](http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/trump-vs-the-new-class/) The article criticized Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, as a “new liberal.” The similarities between the article’s passages and Trump Jr.’s speech came after Melania Trump was accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama in a [Monday night speech at the convention. ](http://time.com/4412175/republican-convention-melania-trump-michelle-obama/)

In his speech, Trump’s eldest son, said:

---

> “”

---


In his [May article](http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/trump-vs-the-new-class/), F.H. Buckley wrote:

---

> “”

---

👀 [pic.twitter.com/QEftnTTwy3](https://t.co/QEftnTTwy3)

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) [July 20, 2016](https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/755601024908300288?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw)


## Transcript

For too long, our country has ignored its problems, punting them down the road for future generations to deal with. We've actually started to believe that solving our great problems is an impossible task. That's why we need to elect a man who has a track record of accomplishing the impossible. We've lost the confidence in our leaders and the faith in our institutions, but remember one thing. We're still Americans. We're still one country, and we're going to get it all back. I know we're going to get it back, because I know my father. I know when people tell him it can't be done, that guarantees That he gets it done.

[ APPLAUSE ] I know that when someone tells him that something is impossible, that's what triggers him into action. The person who would never run for office before, stood on the stage 11 months ago in this very arena with 16 professional politicians And this week, that same man, will stand before you as our parties nominee for the president of the United States of America. [ APPLAUSE ] You wanna know what kind of president he'll be? Let me tell you how he ran his businesses, and I know, because I was there with him, by his side. On job sites, In conference rooms from the time I could walk. He didn't hide out behind some desk in an executive suite.

He spent his career with regular Americans. He hung out with the guys on construction sites, pouring sheetrock and hanging, pouring concrete and hanging sheetrock. We didn't learn from MBAs. We learned from people who are doctorates in common sense. [ APPLAUSE ] Our schools used to be an elevator to the middle class. Now they're stalled on the ground floor. They're like Soviet aero department stores that are run for the benefit of the clerks and not the customers, for the teachers and the administrators and not the students. You know why other countries do better on K through 12? They let parents choose where to send their own children to school.

Who will give the hardworking men and women who built this great country a voice once again. That president can only be my mentor, My best friend, my father, Donald Trump. [ APPLAUSE ] And when we elect him, we'll have done all that. We'll have made America great again. Greater than ever before. [ APPLAUSE ] Thank you and God bless.

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