Donald Trump’s campaign says it’s “crazy” to say that Melania Trump’s Monday night convention speech stole from Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech.
“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort said on CNN Tuesday morning. “These were common words and values, and she cares about her family … things like that.”
“I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night, she knew that,” he added. “To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”
“What she did was use words that are common words” — Trump campaign chairman on Melania’s #GOPConvention speech https://t.co/N9gWKQuGSy
— New Day (@NewDay) July 19, 2016
Manafort also blamed Democrats for trying to attack any woman who threatens Hillary Clinton.
“This is once again, an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks out to demean her and take her down,” he said. “It’s not going to work.”
Democrats rejected the idea that they had anything to do with it, and said it’s up to the Trump campaign to explain how the speech so closely mirrored Michelle Obama’s.
“The Trump organization is going to have to answer for the content of that speech. The side-by-side is pretty clear,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said on CNN.
Even some Trump supporters said the campaign needs to admit the problem and apologize for it, and possibly fire a speechwriter.
“Blame it on a speechwriter,” said Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., on CNN. “Apologize and move on and let’s talk about Hillary Clinton, let’s talk about the economy, let’s talk about ISIS, let’s talk about what’s happening to our cops.”
“But if you don’t acknowledge at least something’s there, this ends up being not just a one hour story, it’s a one day, two day, it’s a convention story, and that’s the problem,” he said.
.@RepSeanDuffy on Melania Trump speech: “Blame it on a speechwriter, apologize and move on” https://t.co/YTvHJWSbn8 https://t.co/q5yfdFP2xN
— New Day (@NewDay) July 19, 2016
In 2008, Michelle Obama told Democratic delegates:
And 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 to 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.
On Monday night, Melania Trump stated:
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 life. 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.
