Cleveland: Donald Trump faced an embarrassing plagiarism scandal on Tuesday that tarnished his wife Melania’s prime-time speech to a Republican National Convention already roiled by an opening day rank-and-file revolt.
It was a rough start to the four-day buildup to Trump’s presidential nomination, one designed for maximum media exposure for the Republican standard bearer and his supporters.
With millions watching on TV at home, Melania Trump delivered a defense of her husband and his bid to be the next president of the United States before thousands of cheering convention delegates. But unmistakable similarities between a passage in her speech about her guiding values and one in a speech given by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic convention soon came to light.
A senior Trump communications adviser, Jason Miller, acknowledged in a statement that Melania Trump’s team of writers “in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking.” Trump himself came out in her defense. “It was truly an honor to introduce my wife, Melania. Her speech and demeanor were absolutely incredible. Very proud!” he tweeted.
Chaos in Cleveland
The development came after a chaotic start to the Republican gathering in Cleveland, which erupted in jeers from Trump opponents after they were denied a chance to speak.
“We deserve to be heard, this is the people’s convention!” said Diana Shores, a delegate from Virginia, while pro-Trump delegates tried to drown out the rebels with shouts of “Shame! Shame!” Many are furious that the party of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt will be led by a man who described Mexicans as rapists and advocated barring Muslims from entering the country. But Trump fans insisted delegates heed the will of the grassroots of the party and make him the Republican nominee without equivocation. The billionaire won a thumping victory in a series of statewide party elections, garnering more than 13 million votes.
Confident Trump
This was meant to be Trump’s moment — the point at which he put the lid on Republican divisions and marched the party toward November’s election and the White House. He tried to put the Republican convention back on track following a rank-and-file revolt, telling party delegates “we’re going to win” the White House.
Trump was breaking tradition by appearing at the convention before his nomination. Making a surprise cameo appearance at the gathering in Cleveland to introduce his wife Melania, Trump showed confidence that belied the day’s spasm of public division. “We’re going to win so big” said Trump. But in a sign of lingering party divisions, several party luminaries stayed away, including the entire Bush family, Mitt Romney and even John Kasich, host state Ohio’s sitting governor who was visiting Cleveland but not the convention.
