Melania Trump Accused of Plagiarism; Borrowing from Michelle Obama's Speech

Melania Trump, wife of Donald Trump, the Republican nominee for the U.S. presidency, has been accused of "plagiarism" in her speech at the Republican National Convention held in Cleveland, Ohio. Following Melania Trump's speech, several global media outlets compared her remarks to those of Michelle Obama, wife of the former U.S. president, who delivered a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2008. According to Reuters, parts of Melania Trump's speech on Monday, July 18, closely resembled Michelle Obama's words. Melania Trump stated, "My parents taught me values; they taught me that you have to work hard for what you want in life, that you should be true to your word, keep your promises, and treat people with respect." She continued, "These are lessons I am teaching my son. We must pass these values on to the next generations because we want our children to know that the only way to achieve their desires and dreams is to work for them." Global media have reported that this part of Melania Trump's speech is identical to the phrases Michelle Obama used in her 2008 Democratic convention address. Donald Trump's campaign rejected these allegations on Tuesday. Jason Miller, a senior communications advisor for Donald Trump, stated that the speechwriting team drew inspiration from Melania's life and that parts of it reflected her own thoughts. However, Melania Trump had previously told NBC News that she wrote the speech herself with "minimal help." Donald Trump and his wife Melania have not yet responded to these accusations. This 15-minute speech was Melania Trump's first during her husband's election campaign. Donald Trump, the American billionaire, attended the first day of the Republican National Convention with his wife Melania to introduce the party's final nominee for the U.S. presidential election. Melania Trump was born in Slovenia and was previously a jewelry designer and model.