Melania speech ignites controversy
The controversy raises questions about the Trump campaign’s attention to detail
CLEVELAND: Accusations of plagiarism in a speech by Donald Trump’s wife stole the spotlight at the Republican convention on Tuesday just when the party was hoping to focus on the formal anointing of her businessman husband as its White House nominee.
Melania Trump’s address to the convention in Cleveland on Monday night contained a section that was strikingly similar to words delivered at the Democratic convention in 2008 by the woman she hopes to succeed as US first lady, Michelle Obama.
As critics accused her of lifting passages from that speech, a Trump campaign official suggested the similarity was the result of an error by Melania Trump’s speech writers. Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said he would probably fire the writer if that were the case.
The controversy raised questions about the Trump campaign’s attention to detail as he squares off against the larger, more organised operation of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton and seeks to win the job of president on November 8.
Melania Trump’s speech followed rowdy scenes on the floor of the convention on Monday, the first day of the gathering, when Trump opponents staged a failed attempt to force a vote opposing his candidacy.
Trump, a real estate developer and former reality TV star who has never held elective office, is trailing Clinton in many polls after a bruising Republican primary season. The party is trying to turn attention to its formal declaration on Tuesday night of Trump as its presidential nominee.
Trump ally Chris Christie, the New Jersey governor, sought to defend Melania Trump by pointing to the parts of the speech that were not controversial.
Asked on NBC’s Today show if as a former prosecutor he could make a case for plagiarism from the speech, he said, “No, not when 93 per cent of the speech is completely different from Michelle Obama’s speech, and they express common thoughts.”
“I think after tonight we won’t be talking about this, we’ll move on to whatever comes up tonight,” he said.
A small section of Melania Trump’s roughly 15-minute address closely resembled a part of Michelle Obama’s speech eight years ago in support of Barack Obama, who was then campaigning for president.
Melania Trump, a Slovenian-born jewellry designer and former model, talked about passing on to the next generation the value of hard work that she inherited from her parents and said “the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”
Before Monday’s speech, Melania Trump told NBC in remarks that were aired on several networks: “I wrote it... with as little help as possible.”
The only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them
MELANIA TRUMP