Melania Trump accused of plagiarism in convention speech

Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention reverberated around social media last night, but not because of its eloquence or conviction. The would-be first lady, who claims to have written the speech herself, appears to have lifted much of several paragraphs from a strikingly similar speech made by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Trump said her parents taught her that “you work hard for what you want in life” and “your word is your bond,” verbatim lessons Obama’s parents taught her. Trump also said, “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.” In 2008, Obama said, “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.” Trump spokesman Paul Manafort called the plagiarism accusations “absurd” and “blown out of proportion.”