It’s All Trumped Up

 

 

This blog was spurred by the controversy this week surrounding potential incumbent first lady, Melania Trump’s, seemingly pick-pocketed speech given during the Republican National Convention. The true penmanship of the speech Melania recited, as prepared by/for Melania, regardless of whether sections of the speech existed in time and space before Melania uttered it, was even briefly under question. On NBC’s Today show, Melania claimed to have written the speech “…with as little help as possible.”  

But, turns out, someone did say some pretty similar things…the current first lady, Michelle Obama, of all public speakers, and during the 2008 Democratic Convention no less.

I’ve reposted the transcript lines under scrutiny, originally published in a Gawker article:

Obama: Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values...

Trump: My parents impressed on me the values...


Obama: ...like: you work hard for what you want in life...

Trump: ...that you work hard for what you want in life.


Obama: ...that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you’re gonna do...

Trump: ...that your word is your bond, and you do what you say...


Obama: ...that you treat people with dignity and respect...

Trump: ...that you treat people with respect...


Obama: ...because we want our children and all children in this nation to know...

Trump: ...because we want our children in this nation to know...


Obama: ...the only limits on the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams...

Trump: ...that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams...


Obama: ...and your willingness to work hard for them.

Trump: ...and your willingness to work for them.

The sad irony in lifting these lines is that the heavy lifter is acting in direct moral opposition to what these words, strung together to form the foundation of ideals, are telling us about how to conduct ourselves as upstanding citizens. A simple rehashing, rearranging, or elimination of adjectives belies the words and concepts being spoken – to work hard, to act with dignity and respect, the biggest irony of all…

“that your word is your bond, and you do what you say…”

Was this just an easy way out, emulating a strong, independent first lady with a commanding and “real” stage presence?

Meredith McIver, who described herself as “an in-house staff writer at the Trump Organization” and “also a longtime friend and admirer of the Trump family” in a statement dated July 20^th, has claimed responsibility for the oversights that resulted in direct quotes from Michelle Obama’s speech making it into Melania’s final draft. She apologized for not double checking the exact wording of the 2008 Democratic Convention speech, and for the “chaos” caused for Melania, the entire Trump family, and Michelle Obama.

McIver was not fired by the Donald, even after offering her resignation. She writes in her statement that Mr. Trump’s response was that “people make innocent mistakes and that we learn and grow from these experiences.”

A recent New York Times article describes McIver as a retired professional ballet dancer and English major who graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah in 1976. After a tumultuous career in dance, McIver went to work with her sister, who was the art director of an advertising firm. It was through this occupation that McIver came to know Trump, and later co-authored two books on the man, “How to Get Rich” and “Trump: Think Like a Billionaire.”

Despite having a dearth of experience writing about the Trump empire, speculation as to why she was chosen as speech writer has swirled, bordering on condescension, such as this jab from Vanity Fair:

“It seems almost unbelievable that the Trumps would put what would be one of the most important, closely watched moments of the convention in the hands of a ballerina who read books in college, even knowing how much trust Trump puts in his ghostwriters. Even if this theory is accepted, that McIver was inspired by the First Lady’s speech and threw in a few similar lines, it is unorthodox, even negligent that the campaign did not vet each word, ensuring that they were McIver’s and McIver’s alone.”

So, what to make of it all. Was Melania, suddenly thrust into the public eye and bearing the burden of a pressing and momentous, encompassing speech, grasping at straws? Confiding in a trusted family friend? Genuinely inspired by someone else’s words yet not able to generate original context and content via that inspiration?

And what of McIver? Was this speech a project hoisted upon her, maybe a little last minute? Considering there is no evidence of her prior speech writing experience, did this new medium overwhelm her sense of proper format, organization, and good judgement?

Only those within this inner circle will fully understand what prompted these clipped phrases that will always haunt them and their name, no matter how distantly.

In a future post, we’ll examine how to truly be “inspired” by the art and work of others to create genuine and thoughtful content that you can call your own.