Ex-Obama speechwriters: Melania Trump’s speech ‘outrageous’

Two former speechwriters for President Obama are blasting Melania Trump’s GOP convention speech amid allegations she plagiarized material from first lady Michelle Obama.

“As a speechwriter, you look at this and it’s just outrageous,” said former speechwriter David Litt on Tuesday, according to NBC News.

{mosads}“It’s not like she used a few words … she used specifically the current first lady’s speech in a speech where she’s auditioning to be the first lady,” he added.

“The level of brazenness is remarkable. There is a pretty clear set of ethics for speechwriters. You don’t do this, and you know there are consequences.”

Litt, who wrote speeches for President Obama from 2011 until earlier this year, said Trump’s wording late Monday sounded unnatural.

“That’s not something you go around saying randomly,” he said of Trump’s use of the phrase “your word is your bond.”

“I don’t think Melania Trump goes around saying that very often,” Litt added, noting its similarity to a speech Michelle Obama gave in 2008.

“So much about speechwriting is not just about the writing, but the transition. To leave one thought and land on the exact same thought — any claim that that’s coincidence shouldn’t even be taken remotely seriously.”

A paragraph in a speech Melania Trump delivered at the Republican National Convention on Monday had strong similarities to Obama’s 2008 address.

Trump used many identical words and phrases first used by Obama at a Democratic National Convention speech in 2008 discussing her family’s values.

Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, on Tuesday defended Melania Trump’s speech as mere coincidence rather than plagiarism.

“Well, there’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” he said on CNN’s “New Day.” “These were common words and values.”

Jon Lovett, another former speechwriter for Barack Obama, on Tuesday called Donald Trump’s handling of the situation “pathetic.”

“Usually you rely on having good people on your team, and you certainly don’t expect this on a speech that’s supposed to be so personal,” he said of the presumptive GOP presidential nominee.

“Just admit someone made a mistake. But treating people like they’re stupid is the hallmark of Trump’s whole thing.”