Aspiring First Lady Melania Trump earned high praise for her Republican Convention speech Monday night. It was optimistic, compassionate and apparently heartfelt.
Some of the words had also been spoken before by current First Lady Michelle Obama. Shortly after the speech, observers on Twitter noticed that a passage Trump read about her upbringing borrowed heavily from the structure and phrasing used by Michelle Obama in her 2008 convention speech.
“They’re nearly identical,” wrote former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau, in response. “Somebody is seriously fired.”
In 2008, Michelle Obama delivered these words:
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 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.
Here is Melania Trump in 2016:
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 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 generation 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.
Later Monday night, the Trump campaign’s senior communications advisor, Jason Miller, released a statement on Melania’s convention speech, saying: “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.”
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