Melania Trump Plagiarism Scandal: Donald Trump’s Wife Appeared To Copy Michelle Obama’s 2008 Speech Word-For-Word

Melania Trump is embroiled in a plagiarism scandal after her speech at the Republican National Convention on Monday appeared to be the carbon copy of one given by Michelle Obama in 2008.

The wife of Republican candidate Donald Trump was front and center at the convention’s first day and hopes were high that she could add a bit of class to a campaign that had been embroiled in scandal for much of the past few months.

But instead, Melania Trump ended up creating a controversy of her own when it appeared that large portions of her speech were lifted directly from the speech Michelle Obama delivered at the Democratic National Convention back in 2008.

This is what Melania Trump said on Monday.

“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 me to show the values and morals in my daily life. That is the 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.”

Which has large portions exactly the same as Michelle Obama’s speech in 2008.

“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.”

It could be possible that a speechwriter lifted the portions of Michelle Obama’s speech without Melania Trump knowing, but Donald Trump’s wife had previously told NBC’s Matt Lauer that, “I wrote it… with a little help as possible.”

Trump, attacking Biden: “I’ve had a great record, I haven’t been involved in plagiarism."https://t.co/nRqzacK0A5

— Ben Smith (@semaforben) July 19, 2016

It could be an embarrassing moment for the Trump campaign, which had high hopes for Melania’s entrance to the public stage. She has largely been absent from the campaign trail except for a few scattered appearances, and rarely addresses crowds.

Before the allegations of plagiarism emerged, the reaction to Melania Trump’s speech was largely positive. CNN noted that Melania Trump appeared poised and confident in the speech, especially given that the Slovenian-born model delivered it in English, her second language.

She spoke glowingly of Donald Trump, saying he is an “amazing leader” who will “never, never let you down.”

Melania also appeared to soften some of Trump’s more controversial stances, including his proposal to ban foreign Muslims from entering the country and his sharp rhetoric against illegal immigration. Melania noted that Donald Trump would be a president for all Americans, including Jews, Christians, and Hispanics, CNN reported.

Melania Trump’s plagiarism scandal was not the only mark against the Trump campaign on the opening day of the Republican National Convention. There was also a short battle that played out on the convention floor after a group opposed to Trump’s nomination appeared to gain the support needed to call a vote on unpledging delegates. The move could have allowed delegates bound to Trump to switch their votes, allowing an attempt at stealing the nomination out from under Trump.

The party squashed the attempt, which will likely be the last gasp of the party’s so-called “Never Trump” movement.

But it appears there will be more difficult headlines for the Donald Trump campaign, as it will face questions over Melania Trump’s potential plagiarism scandal. The campaign had not yet responded to the allegations that Melania’s speech appeared to lift portion of the 2008 Michelle Obama speech.

[Photo by Evan Vucci/AP Images]