Michelle Obama Copied Alinsky in Speech: Melania Trump Plagiarized Essay Example

about intentionality and her knowledge of it. Speculation arose as to whether she was trying to impersonate an extremist or deceive voters into thinking she had campaigning abilities for her husband. However, it is true that both instances included the exact words '...The world as it should be...' Let us compare excerpts from both speeches for better understanding. In her speech, Michelle stated, "And Barack stood up that day, and he spoke words that have stayed with me ever since. He talked about ...the world as it is...And...the world as it should be..." Critics argue that when Barack himself used these phrases, he may not have attributed them to Michelle. For more details on her speech, you can refer to The New York Times' transcript. Now let's analyze what Alinsky wrote: "...the standards of judgment must be rooted in the whys and wherefores of life as it is lived, the world as it is, not our wished-for fantasy of the world as it should be..." Therefore, it seems likely that this particular phrase might have been something she encountered in Alinsky's publication and subsequently forgot about.

According to plagiarism.org, when someone borrows or copies others' ideas, it can raise concerns about plagiarism or auto-plagiarism and diminish the seriousness of the offense. Plagiarism is viewed as a fraudulent act comparable to theft and dishonesty. United States copyright and intellectual property laws confirm that ideas, words, or other forms of expression can indeed be stolen. In Michelle's case, she has committed an act of plagiarism by attributing words to Barack Obama without acknowledging Alinsky and omitting proper quotation marks to indicate they are not her own. It is

crucial to question whether this was done unknowingly, coincidentally, or deliberately.

Plagiarism in Political speeches: Ignorance, Coincidence, or Fraud?

The Trumps have faced criticism multiple times for their inclination towards engaging in plagiarism.

Politicians are adept at maneuvering around their political misconduct and misjudgments. For instance, Joe Biden has long been plagued by instances of plagiarism. One notable incident occurred during one of his speeches, where he was accused of directly copying Neil Kinnock's speech and ultimately harming his chances in the 1988 presidential race. However, this was not the first time Biden faced such allegations; there were also significant examples from his time in law school. Similarly, Hillary Clinton's statement in 2008 about the accountability of banks and executives is not an isolated occurrence, according to reliable sources.

Here are words from John Edwards DNC speech. It did not end there. In 2018, Hillary was once again accused of lifting lines from Bennie Sanders speech.

Is Melania Trump case different?

While the investigation into Trump’s ascension to presidency continues to stir controversies, accusations and counteraccusations, especially alleged links with Russian oligarchs, the US first lady is an accused plagiarist. According to USAToday.com, her speech during the Republican Nation Convention is somehow similar to Michelle Obama’s 2008 DNC delivery.

While some observers note that she did not directly copy everything, there is a significant similarity in the theme, sentence structure, and wording used. The senior communication advisor for Trump's campaign denied this, explaining that Melania's writing team wrote her speech with her life aspirations, experience as an American immigrant, and mindset in mind. You can read her speech in USA Today and make a

comparison.