UnNews:Melania Trump accused of plagiarising Michelle Obama speech
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Donald Trump's wife, Melania, has taken center stage on the first day of the Republican National Convention but faced accusations a portion of her speech plagiarized Michelle Obama.
Commentators noticed similarities with a speech Mrs Obama made in 2015.
Melania, who was born in Slovenia, began her speech with what many initially took to be an inclusive if bizarre message: "To all the young women here tonight and all across the country, let me say these words: Black girls rock! We rock! We rock! No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, you are beautiful, you are powerful, you are brilliant, you are funny."
She went on, with apparently bullish confidence about her husband's Presidential aspirations: "Let me tell you, I am so proud of you. My husband, your president, is so proud of you. And we have such big hopes and dreams for every single one of you.
However, the next section of the speech was what really convinced many listening that the speech was not Melania's.
"I need you to understand that we are the women who marched from cotton fields into fields of medicine, politics, entertainment. We have found a way to march into the White House."
The audience's bemusement was audible. Trump spokesmen later claimed that the confusion was caused by Melania's use of Google Translate, as she still speaks very little English, and communicates with her husband through the medium of sexual favors.
However, Democrats seized upon the opportunity to cry plagiarism. They then pointed to Melania's most recent post on Facebook in which she made another surprising claim:
"You see, there are so many kids in this country who look at places like museums and concert halls and other cultural centers and they think to themselves, ‘well, that’s not a place for me, for someone who looks like me, for someone who comes from my neighborhood.’ And growing up on the South Side of Chicago, I was one of those kids myself."
Sources[edit | edit source]
- Leverage, "Melania Trump accused of plagiarising Michelle Obama in convention speech" BBC, July 19, 2016
