Donald Trump
Donald TrumpNewsom touts victory over recall as rejection of 'Trumpism' Newsom easily beats back recall effort in California Second senior official leaving DHS in a week MORE’s campaign manager, Paul Manafort, on Tuesday denied allegations that Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican National Convention Monday night plagiarized a speech given by first lady Michelle Obama
Michelle LeVaughn Robinson ObamaWe must mount an all-country response to help our Afghan allies Obamas, Bushes and Clintons joining new effort to help Afghan refugees Bidens, former presidents mark 9/11 anniversary MORE.
“There was no cribbing from Michelle Obama’s speech,” Manafort said on CNN’s “New Day.” “These were common words and values, that she cares about her family and things like that. She was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that. To think she would be cribbing Michelle Obama’s words is crazy.”
A portion of the speech Monday night resembled parts of one that the first lady delivered at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
Manafort said the uproar over the speech is an example of how the country tries to “demean” women who criticize Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWe must mount an all-country response to help our Afghan allies Biden nominates ex-State Department official as Export-Import Bank leader Obamas, Bushes and Clintons joining new effort to help Afghan refugees MORE, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.
“Certainly there’s no feeling on her part that she did it. What she did was use words that were common words. To think that she would do something like that, knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be last night is just really absurd.”
Manafort also predicted that no one will be fired over the uproar.
“I don’t think Donald Trump feels that there is anything to fire about,” he said on “CBS This Morning.”
This report was updated at 7:56 a.m.
