Melania Trump’s Speech Plagiarizes Michelle Obama Speech From 2008

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At least one passage in Melania Trump’s speech Monday night at the Republican National Convention plagiarized Michelle Obama’s speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Side-by-side comparisons of the transcripts show the text in Trump’s address following, nearly to the word, the first lady’s own from the first night of the Democratic convention in Denver nearly eight years ago.

The controversy quickly overshadowed the speech. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Earlier in the day, she told NBC’s Matt Lauer: “I wrote it with a little help.”

Manafort denied allegations that Melania Trump plagiarized a Michelle Obama speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention, calling the accusation “just really absurd.”

“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech. These were common words and values. She cares about her family,” Manafort said. “To think that she’d be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”

“To think that she would do something like that knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be last night is just really absurd,” Manafort told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on New Day.

(h/t CNN)

Reality

Who knew Melania Trump was such a big fan of Michelle Obama?

Here is a side-by-side transcript with similar portions highlighted.

 Melania Trump, RNC 2016  Michelle Obama, DNC 2008
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. 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 respect. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them.
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. 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 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. 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.

Sources familiar with the campaign’s handling of Melania Trump’s speech identify top Manafort deputy Rick Gates as the person inside the campaign who oversaw the entire speech process for Melania Trump.

My Little Pony

Republicans have come up with a new excuse for Melania Trump’s convention speech plagiarism. According to the RNC, Mrs. Trump may have lifted phrases from My Little Pony, not First Lady Michelle Obama.

The problem with this claim is that Michelle Obama made her speech in 2008 and My Little Pony was rebooted in 2010.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

There was an internet rumor flying around that Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech plagiarized a self-help book.

Stephen R. Covey in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” listed the exact same principles in the exact same order as Mrs. Obama did as keys to success. He said “There is only one sure means of success. Number one, work hard for what you want in life. Number two, treat your word as your bond and always do what you say you’re going to do. And number three, respect everyone and treat them with dignity even if you don’t know them or agree with them. And always, always, take the opportunity to pass the values on to the next generation.”

Researchers, including this site, looked at 7 Habits, The 8th Habit, and any of Covey’s other books, and were not able to find the passage quoted above, or even any of the central phrases comprising it. In fact, no part of the passage was publicly attributed to Stephen R. Covey before it began turning up on Facebook the day after Melania Trump’s speech, 19 July 2016, which appears to be the date on which it was first published anywhere.

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