When Melania Trump delivered her infamous 2016 speech where she, or whoever had written it, plagiarised much of what Michelle Obama had said years earlier, the world was shocked. However, since then Melania has remained under the radar on the plagiarism front, until now that is.
Launching a new campaign around online safety for children, Be Best, Melania released a booklet offering advice on how parents can guide their children into being more positive online. However, texts from the booklet look suspiciously similar, if not identical, to a booklet released under Michelle Obama, for a campaign called Be Better.
Since commentators picked up on the similarities, the White House have re-issued the booklet, initially billed as being ‘by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission’ to now being by the ‘Federal Trade Commission booklet, promoted by First Lady Melania Trump’.
However, the White House has not taken the attempt to hold the government to account well, issuing a statement that accused ‘opposition’ media of taking ‘a day meant to promote kindness and positive efforts on behalf of children, to instead lob baseless accusations towards the First Lady and her new initiatives.’
The initiative was launched on Monday, aiming to not only promote the positive use of social media, but also healthy living (and also, strangely, combat opioid abuse). It’s not the first time that Melania’s choice to tackle cyber-bullying has resulted in scandal, as it has long been considered hypocritical given her husband Donald Trump’s online antics.
However, the White House has continued to evade questions around the ironic choice of work. Whether Melania will follow their lead and ignore this second plagiarism scandal is yet to be seen, but chances are she’ll stay quiet for a while given the backlash she received for the first attempt...
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Michelle Obama Style - Best Dresses & Outfits
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Michelle Obama at the The Grammy Museum's Jane Ortner Education Award luncheon - July 16, 2014
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Michelle Obama at the White House, November 2013
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Michelle Obama at 106 & Park at BET Studios, November 2013
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Michelle Obama at Arlington National Cemetery, November 2013
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Michelle Obama at the White House Kitchen Garden, October 2013
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Michelle Obama departing the White House toward Marine One, September 2013
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Michelle Obama at the Lincoln Memorial, August 2013
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Michelle Obama at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, August 2013
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Michelle Obama departing the White House for a trip to Africa, June 2013
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Michelle Obama in Berlin, June 2013
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Michelle Obama at Tegel Airport in Berlin, June 2013
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Michelle Obama at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, June 2013
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Michelle Obama at the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Texas, April 2013
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Michelle Obama at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, April 2013
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Michelle Obama at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, April 2013
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Michelle Obama at McCormick Place in Chicago, February 2013
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Michelle Obama during a skit with Jimmy Fallon, February 2013
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Michelle Obama in Jason Wu at the inaugural ball, January 2013
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Michelle Obama taking part in the Grass Roots Campaign, Oct 2012
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Michelle Obama in Tracy Reese at the Demographic National Convention, Sept 2012
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Michelle Obama in a Marchesa gown at The White House, March 2012
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Michelle Obama at the Healthier Future Summit, Nov 2011
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Michelle Obama in Tom Ford at Buckingham Palace, July 2011
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Michelle Obama in ASOS, July 2011
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Michelle Obama in Barbara Tfank at Buckingham Palace, May 2011
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Michelle Obama in Alexander McQueen, Jan 2011
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Michelle Obama at the World Leader Lunch, Sept 2010
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Michelle Obama in Naeem Khan at a state dinner, Nov 2009
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Michelle Obama in Thakoon at the G20 Summit opening dinner, Sept 2009
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Michelle Obama at a NATO dinner in Azzedina Alaia, April 2009
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Michelle Obama arriving in London in Jason Wu, March 2009
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Michelle Obama opening the Stevie Wonder White House concert in Kai Milla, March 2009