Campaign Denies Melania Trump Plagiarized Michelle Obama in Her RNC Speech

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During the first night of the Republican National Convention on Monday, the typically-enigmatic Melania Trump delivered a heartfelt speech praising her husband, his campaign, and her adopted country (Mrs. Trump became a U.S. citizen in 2006). Over the course of her nearly-twenty-minute address, Trump told stories about her own life—specifically, a poignant and personal aside chronicling her upbringing in then-communist Slovenia and the strong personal values her mother and father instilled in her and her sister.

Speaking about her early life, she stated:

"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 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 dream and your willingness to work for them."

A beautiful sentiment, undoubtedly. However, as reporter Jarrett Hill noted on Monday night, Melania's words seemed a bit familiar. In fact, they seemed nearly identical to a portion of Michelle Obama's speech from the 2008 Democratic National Convention. For reference, here's what the current First Lady said in her address eight years ago:

"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."

Curiously similar speeches, to be sure. Melania told NBC's Matt Lauer on Monday afternoon that she wrote her own speech, and following the big primetime moment, the Trump camp was quick to deny that any similarities between her and Mrs. Obama's 2008 address were intentional.

"There's no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These were common words and values. She cares about her family," campaign chairman Paul Manafort told CNN early Tuesday morning. "To think that she'd be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy."

Though Melania has not officially spoken on the matter, she echoed these sentiments in a image shared to her Twitter account:

A formal statement from the campaign, credited to Senior Communications Advisor Jason Miller and released shortly after the speech, did not mention plagiarism. "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."

Source: http://www.glamour.com/story/campaign-denies-melania-trump-plagiarized-michelle-obama-in-her-rnc-speech