This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/20/us/politics/melania-trump-speech.html

The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 7 Version 8
Melania Trump’s Speech Bears Striking Similarities to Michelle Obama’s in 2008 Melania Trump’s Speech Bears Striking Similarities to Michelle Obama’s in 2008
(35 minutes later)
CLEVELAND — Melania Trump earned praise for her speech on Monday at the opening night of the Republican National Convention, but her remarks almost immediately came under scrutiny when striking similarities were discovered between her speech and one delivered by Michelle Obama at the Democratic convention in 2008. CLEVELAND — The Republican Party woke up to a cascade of finger-pointing and confusion on Tuesday as the Trump campaign was rocked by accusations that parts of Melania Trump’s convention speech had been cribbed from the one that Michelle Obama delivered to Democrats in 2008.
The possibility that Ms. Trump’s remarks had been plagiarized cast a cloud over the second day of the Republican National Convention and laid bare lingering tensions within the party surrounding the nomination of Donald J. Trump, whose campaign continues to be plagued by stumbles and infighting despite several reboots.
The disarray was evident as Mr. Trump’s campaign and senior Republicans offered conflicting explanations for the similarities in the speeches, with some officials conceding that the passages were lifted and demanding accountability, and others insisting nothing untoward had occurred.
Among Mr. Trump’s aides, there was a palpable sense of frustration that Ms. Trump’s speech, which they considered a highlight of the evening, had become a cause for embarrassment.
Paul Manafort, Mr. Trump’s campaign chairman, pushed back aggressively against accusations of plagiarism and even tried to go on the offensive.
Describing it as “a great speech,” Mr. Manafort said at a morning convention briefing that “obviously Michelle Obama feels very similar sentiments toward her family.”
Speaking on CNN, Mr. Manafort also said that Ms. Trump was aware that “she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night,” adding, “To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”
Deflecting questions about the passages themselves, Mr. Manafort instead attacked Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, for what he claimed was an effort to draw attention to the matter.
“This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks out to demean her and take her down,” Mr. Manafort said. “It’s not going to work against Melania Trump.”
A memo sent to Trump campaign staffers instructed them to stick to Mr. Manafort’s response, but surrogates for Mr. Trump mused aloud on Tuesday about what might have happened, raising questions about fissures within his team and allowing the controversy to drag on.
Another adviser to Mr. Trump, who has assisted in the drafting of some of his speeches, acknowledged that Ms. Trump used words that were not her own. “I’m sure what happened is the person who was helping write this plucked something in there and unfortunate oversight and certainly Melania didn’t have anything to do with it,” said Sam Clovis, a Trump campaign co-chairman, in an interview on MSNBC.
And Gov. Chris Christie, a staunch ally of Mr. Trump who was recently passed over to be his running mate, downplayed the situation while also noting that parts of the speech were duplicative.
Asked on NBC’s “Today” show if the remarks constituted plagiarism, Mr. Christie said, “Nah, not when 93 percent of the speech is completely different than Michelle Obama’s speech.”
Talk of who was to blame for the speech also buzzed among former advisers to Mr. Trump. Corey Lewandowski, the campaign manager who was ousted in favor of Mr. Manafort, said on CNN that Mr. Manafort should take responsibility.
“Whoever signed off, the final signoff that allowed this to go forward, should be held accountable,” Mr. Lewandowski said. “I think if it was Paul Manafort, he would do the right thing and resign.”
The Trump campaign denied reports that Mr. Manafort’s top deputy, Rick Gates, had played a role in writing the speech. “Rick’s not a speechwriter and he doesn’t have a role in the campaign’s speech-writing process — we have other people for that. Anybody saying differently is being intentionally misleading,” said Jason Miller, the campaign’s senior communications adviser.
Two people briefed on the process, insisted on anonymity to discuss such a sensitive issue, said that a contract speechwriter, Matthew Scully, had written an early draft of Ms. Trump’s speech several weeks ago. Ms. Trump then took that speech and made substantial changes to it, according to this person, with help from someone working at the Trump Organization.
Ms. Trump had initially earned praise for her speech on Monday at the opening night of the convention, but her remarks almost immediately came under scrutiny when striking similarities were discovered between her speech and one delivered by Mrs. Obama
The phrases in question came when Ms. Trump — who told NBC News earlier on Monday that she had written her speech herself — was discussing her upbringing in Slovenia and her parents.The phrases in question came when Ms. Trump — who told NBC News earlier on Monday that she had written her speech herself — was discussing her upbringing in Slovenia and her parents.
Here are the relevant passages.Here are the relevant passages.
Ms. Trump, Monday night:Ms. Trump, Monday night:
“From a young age, 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 and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a 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.”
Mrs. Obama, in her 2008 speech:Mrs. Obama, in her 2008 speech:
“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.”
Ms. Trump:Ms. Trump:
“I was born in Slovenia, a small, beautiful and then-Communist country in Central Europe. My sister, Ines, who is an incredible woman and a friend, and I were raised by my wonderful parents. My elegant and hard-working mother, Amalija, introduced me to fashion and beauty. My father, Viktor, instilled in me a passion for business and travel. Their integrity, compassion and intelligence reflects to this day on me and for my love of family and America.”
Mrs. Obama, in 2008:Mrs. Obama, in 2008:
“And I come here as a daughter — raised on the South Side of Chicago by a father who was a blue-collar city worker and a mother who stayed at home with my brother and me. My mother’s love has always been a sustaining force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her compassion and her intelligence reflected in my own daughters.”
Jarrett Hill, a Twitter user whose biography describes him as an interior designer and journalist, apparently first noticed the resemblance between Ms. Trump’s speech and Mrs. Obama’s in 2008.Jarrett Hill, a Twitter user whose biography describes him as an interior designer and journalist, apparently first noticed the resemblance between Ms. Trump’s speech and Mrs. Obama’s in 2008.
But Ms. Trump said in an interview taped with Matt Lauer of NBC before her speech that she went over it just once in advance. “I wrote it with as little help as possible,” she said.But Ms. Trump said in an interview taped with Matt Lauer of NBC before her speech that she went over it just once in advance. “I wrote it with as little help as possible,” she said.
Mr. Trump’s aides declined to identify who, if anyone, on the campaign helped in writing the speech. Mr. Trump’s main speechwriter is Stephen Miller, and the convention program and speakers have been managed by the campaign’s chief strategist, Paul Manafort. Mr. Trump’s aides have thus far declined to identify who, if anyone, on the campaign helped in writing the speech. Mr. Trump’s main speechwriter is Stephen Miller, and the convention program and speakers have been managed by Mr. Manafort.
In a statement released just before 2 a.m., a campaign spokesman, Jason Miller, praised Ms. Trump’s speech, which he suggested was written by other people whom he did not identify. In a statement released hours after the speech, Mr. Miller was vague about how it was crafted.
He did not directly address the similarities to Mrs. Obama’s speech, but he indicated that Ms. Trump had “included fragments” from other people.
“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,” Mr. Miller said. “Melania’s immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it a success.”“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,” Mr. Miller said. “Melania’s immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it a success.”
As the controversy broke out, Mr. Trump posted on Twitter: “It was truly an honor to introduce my wife, Melania. Her speech and demeanor were absolutely incredible. Very proud!” Mr. Trump has not addressed the issue publicly, except for a Twitter post he put up as the controversy broke out: “It was truly an honor to introduce my wife, Melania. Her speech and demeanor were absolutely incredible. Very proud!”
Some of Mr. Trump’s staunchest defenders had trouble explaining the overlapping language. On CNN, Jeffrey Lord, a commentator and Trump supporter, called it “a serious thing” and recalled the plagiarism scandal that helped sink Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s 1988 presidential bid. Mr. Lord speculated that a staff member on Mr. Trump’s campaign was responsible and added that whoever it was should be let go. Sarah Hurwitz, a White House speechwriter who composed Mrs. Obama’s 2008 address, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, but Democrats were watching the fallout carefully.
Mr. Trump’s campaign and senior Republicans did not offer a coherent explanation Tuesday for the similarities in the speech, though some officials conceded that the passages were lifted and others tried to avoid responsibility. Advisers to Hillary Clinton said they quickly decided on Monday night to take a restrained approach to the controversy over Ms. Trump’s speech. The Clinton campaign often challenges the integrity and judgment of the Trump campaign, but doing so over the speech would create an opening for Trump advisers to suggest that Mrs. Clinton was somehow to blame for the furor.
Reince Priebus, the head of the Republican National Committee, said he would “probably” fire whoever was responsible. After Mr. Manafort tried to do so anyway on Tuesday, Mrs. Clinton’s communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, replied “nice try, not true” on Twitter and added, “blaming Hillary Clinton isn’t the answer” for every Trump campaign problem.
“I don’t blame her,” he told a Bloomberg Politics breakfast Tuesday. “Some of these things are pretty common types of themes.” Two Clinton advisers, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal campaign deliberations about Ms. Trump’s speech, said they had no intention of trying to embarrass Ms. Trump, saying the controversy was a staff problem. They also said they did not expect to use the plagiarism charges as a defense against Mr. Trump’s attacks on Mrs. Clinton’s honesty and authenticity.
Mr. Manafort, the Trump strategist, called it “a great speech.” But several Democratic allies of Mrs. Clinton were more open in arguing that the controversy would dog the campaign as long as Trump advisers failed to take action to deal with it.
“Obviously Michelle Obama feels very similar sentiments toward her family,” Mr. Manafort said at a Tuesday morning convention briefing, calling criticism “totally ignoring the facts of the speech itself.” “To borrow from Donald Trump, it’s sad,” said Bill Burton, a former adviser to President Obama. “Their campaign staff did real harm to Mrs. Trump’s credibility in what has historically been a great moment for either party’s nominee.”
“We’re comfortable that the words that she used are personal to her,” he said. Stephanie Cutter, a Democratic strategist who has also been an Obama adviser, argued that the controversy revealed an inability among people closest to Mr. Trump to talk about his character and private side.
“I would note that she did note that she was speaking before 40 million people yesterday,” he said, adding it was “absurd” to think people wouldn’t notice” if she had plagiarized. “The person who is supposed to know the candidate best and can speak to his values and what drives him couldn’t write her own speech on it,” Ms. Cutter wrote in an email message. “Instead, she lifted from a first lady who spoke from the heart about her husband. Why CAN’T Melania speak from the heart about hers? It really says something.”
Mr. Manafort went on to deflect questions about the passages themselves and instead attacked the presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign for what he said was their effort to draw attention to the matter.
“When Hillary Clinton is threatened by a female the first thing she does is to try to destroy the person,” Mr. Manafort said.
Yet another adviser to Mr. Trump, who has assisted in the drafting of some of his speeches, used a television interview to acknowledge that Mrs. Trump used words that were not her own.
“I’m sure what happened is the person who was helping write this plucked something in there and unfortunate oversight and certainly Melania didn’t have anything to do with it,” said Sam Clovis, a Trump campaign co-chairman, in an interview on MSNBC.
Sarah Hurwitz, a White House speechwriter who composed Mrs. Obama’s 2008 address, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Speeches by political spouses tend to be deeply personal and even idiosyncratic, because they often describe specific qualities and anecdotes that only a husband or wife would know. Ann Romney delivered a detailed testimonial about Mitt Romney’s private side at the Republican convention in 2012, the sort of highly tailored speech that spouses have delivered for decades about presidential nominees.Speeches by political spouses tend to be deeply personal and even idiosyncratic, because they often describe specific qualities and anecdotes that only a husband or wife would know. Ann Romney delivered a detailed testimonial about Mitt Romney’s private side at the Republican convention in 2012, the sort of highly tailored speech that spouses have delivered for decades about presidential nominees.
Ms. Trump’s speech was praised by Republicans as one of the evening’s high points. It was one of the first such public forays by a woman who is deeply private.
As it happened, the thrust of Monday night’s speaker lineup was what Republicans called the inauthenticity and incompetence of Mrs. Clinton.As it happened, the thrust of Monday night’s speaker lineup was what Republicans called the inauthenticity and incompetence of Mrs. Clinton.
Accusations of plagiarism are not unheard-of in political speeches, although the consequences have varied.
In 2008, Mrs. Clinton criticized Mr. Obama for appearing to lift a passage from Deval Patrick, then the governor of Massachusetts, in a speech about how words matter. Mr. Obama, then a senator, said that he could have credited Mr. Patrick but that he did not consider it a case of plagiarism.
When Mr. Biden was running for president in the 1980s, he faced questions about plagiarizing speeches from Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert H. Humphrey and Neil Kinnock, a British Labour Party leader. Mr. Biden said at the time that it was “ludicrous” to expect a politician to attribute everything he said.
Mr. Hill, a television journalist who was recently laid off, said in an interview that one of Ms. Trump’s lines — the words “strength of your dreams” — caught his attention as he was watching on his computer from a Starbucks in Los Angeles, juggling Facebook chats and browsing Twitter.Mr. Hill, a television journalist who was recently laid off, said in an interview that one of Ms. Trump’s lines — the words “strength of your dreams” — caught his attention as he was watching on his computer from a Starbucks in Los Angeles, juggling Facebook chats and browsing Twitter.
“It kind of made me pause for a minute,” Mr. Hill said. “I remembered that line from Michelle Obama’s speech.”“It kind of made me pause for a minute,” Mr. Hill said. “I remembered that line from Michelle Obama’s speech.”
Mr. Hill, 31, found the clip of Mrs. Obama’s speech online and noticed that parts of the two speeches sounded the same. He then realized that a larger portion appeared to have been borrowed as he continued to examine both.Mr. Hill, 31, found the clip of Mrs. Obama’s speech online and noticed that parts of the two speeches sounded the same. He then realized that a larger portion appeared to have been borrowed as he continued to examine both.
“I thought, ‘That’s legit plagiarism,’ ” said Mr. Hill, who described himself as a supporter of President Obama. “ ‘Someone took this piece and plugged in their own information.’ ”“I thought, ‘That’s legit plagiarism,’ ” said Mr. Hill, who described himself as a supporter of President Obama. “ ‘Someone took this piece and plugged in their own information.’ ”
Accusations of plagiarism are not unheard-of in political speeches, although the consequences have varied.
In 2008, Mrs. Clinton criticized Mr. Obama for appearing to lift a passage from Deval Patrick, then the governor of Massachusetts, in a speech about how words matter. Mr. Obama, then a senator, said that he could have credited Mr. Patrick but that he did not consider it a case of plagiarism.
When Mr. Biden was running for president in the 1980s, he faced questions about plagiarizing speeches from Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert H. Humphrey and Neil Kinnock, a British Labour Party leader. Mr. Biden said at the time that it was “ludicrous” to expect a politician to attribute everything he said.
Mr. Trump’s reed-thin campaign staff, which served him well in the Republican primary contests, has started to grow in recent weeks. But he has struggled to professionalize his operation to adapt to a general election.