http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/poli ... /87278088/
Section of Melania Trump speech raises plagiarism charge
Cooper Allen, USA TODAY 12:36 a.m. EDT July 19, 2016
Melania Trump speaks during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 18, 2016. (Photo: Robert Deutsch, USA TODAY)
CLEVELAND — Melania Trump's speech Monday seemed to go off without a hitch.
But shortly after the opening night of the Republican National Convention concluded, a few observers noted that a small portion of her remarks were remarkably similar to a passage from first lady Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention eight years earlier in Denver.
Here's the excerpt from Obama 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 to 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."
And here's the passage from Trump's remarks Monday night that drew the attention of Vox and others:
"My parents impressed on me the value of 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. Show the values and morals in in the daily life. That is the lesson that we continue to pass on to our son.
"We need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in these nations to know that the only limit to your achievement is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them."
While it's not entirely a verbatim match, the two sections bear considerable similarity in wording, construction and themes. This certainly could have been an inadvertent mistake on the part of a Trump campaign speechwriter, but at least on social media late Monday and early Tuesday morning, it was already diverting attention from Melania Trump's introduction on the national stage.