20 July,2016 08:14 AM IST | | Agencies
Plagiarism tarnished her prime-time debut as parts of her speech were reportedly lifted from one Michelle Obama made 8 years ago
Melaniau00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s much-applauded debut in front of a Republican crowd drew negative attention due to two plagiarised passages.
Cleveland: Melania Trump - until now only a minor presence on the campaign trail - found herself in the midst of an embarrassing plagiarism controversy yesterday after a prime-time defence of her husband Donald that appeared to be lifted in part from a speech given by Michelle Obama.
Melania's much-applauded debut in front of a Republican crowd drew negative attention due to two plagiarised passages. Pic/AFP
No sooner had the poised, 46-year-old former model delivered her speech to cheering delegates at the Republican National Convention than the unmistakeable similarities to a passage from Obama's speech to the 2008 Democratic convention came to light.
"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," Melania Trump said.
In her speech, Michelle Obama had said, "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."
Trump's senior communications adviser, Jason Miller, issued a statement that sidestepped the plagiarism question while not denying it. "In writing her beautiful speech, Melania's team of writers took notes on her life's inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking," he said.
