Story highlights
- It turns out Melania Trump admires Michelle Obama, according to a Trump staff writer
- So. now is a good time for Donald Trump to stop questioning the Americanness of the Obamas, writes Donna Brazile
Donna Brazile, a CNN contributor and a Democratic strategist, is vice chairwoman for civic engagement and voter registration at the Democratic National Committee. A nationally syndicated columnist, she is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and author of "Cooking With Grease: Stirring the Pots in America." The opinions expressed in this commentary are hers.
(CNN)In taking responsibility for lifting much of two paragraphs from a speech by Michelle Obama, Trump campaign staff writer Meredith McIver did more than uncover her own part in the drama surrounding Melania Trump's convention speech. She also inadvertently highlighted the unfair and frankly hateful way Donald Trump has treated the Obamas.
Donna Brazile
It seems that despite her husband's open contempt for the first family, Melania Trump found much to admire in Michelle Obama. McIver, in her statement, said,
"In working with Melania Trump on her recent first lady speech, we discussed many people who inspired her and messages she wanted to share with the American people. A person she has always liked is Michelle Obama. Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama's speech as examples."
CNN Opinion commentators on the RNC
- Timothy Stanley: Republicans picked the wrong Trump
- Raul A. Reyes: Trump's missed opportunity
- Errol Louis: Will Chris Christie get a second act?
- Peter Bergen: America the weak?
- Kayleigh McEnany: In a dark time, GOP offers positive vision
- Peggy Drexler: Melania, the good, the bad and the beautiful
- David Gergen: Imitating Nixon: Trump's big mistake?
- Paul Begala: A very Trump convention
- Michael D'Antonio: A Trump family production
- Reince Priebus: From Cleveland to the White House
Bless Melania's heart, I do feel bad for her and the spot she was put in, but I think Donald Trump and his campaign should take it to heart when she says she admires Michelle Obama, and was moved by her American upbringing and the values the Obamas raise their kids on.
That's because so much of his campaign, and so much of this convention, has been about impugning the Americanness and legitimacy of the Obamas — and that is just not where the American people are.
The thing the American people admire most about President Obama is that he is a good family man. They love the first lady. The kind of hate directed toward President Obama that Donald Trump has relied on for the last five years, in part by his championing the "birther" cause that disputed whether the President is truly a citizen of this country, is never going to be embraced by a majority of the American people. That's the lesson the Trump campaign should take away from all this.
In the brief time before the plagiarism surfaced, Melania Trump's speech was hailed as a breakthrough moment for the Trump campaign. It still can be — if they listen to what she was saying.
Photos: The Republican National Convention
Donald Trump, the Republican Party's presidential nominee, delivers a speech Thursday at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. "I have had a truly great life in business," he said. "But now, my sole and exclusive mission is to go to work for our country -- to go to work for you. It's time to deliver a victory for the American people."
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Trump is seen on screen as balloons fall from the ceiling of Quicken Loans Arena.
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Trump's family joins him on stage along with the family of his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
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Confetti falls at the end of Trump's acceptance speech.
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Trump and Pence acknowledge the audience after Trump's speech.
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Trump claps on stage with his wife, Melania.
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The Trumps embrace on stage.
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Trump hugs his son Barron after his address, which lasted well over an hour.
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Trump, like many of the convention's speakers this week, went after Hillary Clinton, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. "Big business, elite media and major donors are lining up behind the campaign of my opponent because they know she will keep our rigged system in place," he said. "They are throwing money at her because they have total control over everything she does. She is their puppet, and they pull the strings."
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Trump delivers his speech.
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Trump said the United States will be a nation of "generosity and warmth" and "law and order."
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A delegate listens to Trump's speech.
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"Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it," Trump said. "My message is that things have to change -- and they have to change right now."
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Trump accepts the party's nomination as he begins his speech.
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Trump's daughter Ivanka takes the stage Thursday before giving a speech introducing her father.
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"This is the moment, and Donald Trump is the person to make America great again!" Ivanka Trump said to a big cheer. She called her father a fighter, saying now he will "fight for his country."
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Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, became the first openly gay person to speak the Republican National Convention. "I am proud to be gay," he told the crowd Thursday. "I am proud to be a Republican. But most of all I am proud to be an American."
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Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, delivers a speech on Thursday. "We are the party of new ideas in a changing and faster world than ever before," he said.
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Legendary basketball coach Bob Knight delivers a video message to the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena.
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Motivational speaker Brock Mealer was among those who spoke on Thursday.
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A delegate dressed as Hillary Clinton is accosted by another delegate on Thursday.
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Delegates stand for the national anthem Thursday.
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Young singer Heavenly Joy performs.
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Trump gives a thumbs-up Wednesday after Pence gave his speech.
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Trump gives an "air kiss" to Pence after Pence's speech.
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Pence receives a kiss from his mother, Nancy, as his family joins him on stage after his speech.
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Pence acknowledges the crowd as he walks on stage to deliver his speech.
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"I'm a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order," Pence told the crowd.
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Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich delivers a speech on Wednesday.
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Trump smiles on the floor of the convention on Wednesday.
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Eric Trump, one of Donald Trump's sons, walks on stage to deliver a speech Wednesday.
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Trump listens to his son's speech along with other members of his family on Wednesday.
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Delegates shout on the floor of the arena on Wednesday.
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump's main adversary in the primaries, was booed at the end of his speech when it was clear he wasn't endorsing Trump. Cruz told people to "vote your conscience."
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People react to Cruz's speech.
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Cruz gives a thumbs-up as he walks off stage.
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U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, another one of Trump's primary opponents, delivers a video message.
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A delegate checks his phone at the arena.
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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker delivers a speech Wednesday. "A vote for anyone other than Donald Trump in November is a vote for Hillary Clinton," the former presidential candidate said.
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Delegates hold up signs Wednesday.
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Retired astronaut Eileen Collins waves to the crowd before delivering a speech Wednesday.
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Trump addresses the crowd on Tuesday. "We're going to make America great again," he said in a video message shortly after winning the nomination. "Have a fantastic evening. I'll see you tomorrow night, I'll see you Thursday night, and we will win in November."
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Photos: The Republican National Convention
Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon and former presidential candidate, speaks on stage Tuesday. He said Trump skeptics who would vote for Hillary Clinton are "not using their God-given brain to think about what they're saying. ... She'll be appointing people who will have an effect on us for generations. And America may never recover."
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A member of the activist group Code Pink protests inside the arena during Carson's speech.
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Donald Trump Jr. delivers a speech Tuesday. "We need to elect a man who has a track record of accomplishing the impossible," he said of his father.
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Members of the Trump family watch as Donald Trump Jr. gives his speech.
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Donald Trump's daughter Tiffany addresses the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena. "Whatever (my father) does, he gives it all and does it well," she said on Tuesday. "His desire for excellence is contagious. He possesses a unique gift for bringing that out in others."
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U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst waves as she stands with other first-term senators on Tuesday.
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New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers a speech that was heavily critical of the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee. "It is our obligation to stop Hillary Clinton now and never let her within 10 miles of the White House again," Christie said of the former secretary of state. "It is time to come together and make sure that Donald Trump is our next President. I am proud to be part of this team. Now let's go win this thing."
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Delegates fill the floor of the arena on Tuesday.
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Four of Donald Trump's children -- from left, Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump -- celebrate on the floor of the convention, where Donald Trump Jr. announced the New York delegates that clinched the nomination for his father.
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A delegate shows support for Donald Trump's wife, Melania, on Tuesday.
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A delegate whistles as roll call votes are cast on Tuesday.
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Delegates take a photo with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, center, on Tuesday.
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A Florida delegate holds a "Hillary for prison" sign on the floor of the arena.
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A convention attendee wears American-themed shoes on Tuesday.
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House Speaker Paul Ryan bangs the gavel to open the second day of the convention on Tuesday.
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Melania Trump kisses her husband, Donald, after she spoke Monday on the first day of the convention. "If you want someone to fight for you and your country, I can assure you, he's the guy," she said of her husband. "He will never, ever give up. And most importantly, he will never, ever let you down."
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Donald Trump walks to his wife after she delivered her speech.
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Melania Trump claps during her speech.
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Donald Trump comes out to the song "We Are the Champions" before introducing his wife.
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Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani delivered a fiery speech before Melania Trump. Among his topics was the fight against terrorists. "We know who you are, and we're coming to get you!" he said.
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A protester flashes a peace sign on the floor of the convention on Monday.
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Milwaukee County Sheriff David A. Clarke Jr. salutes the crowd before speaking Monday. He got huge applause when he started off his speech by saying, "Blue lives matter!"
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Patricia Smith, mother of Benghazi victim Sean Smith, told the crowd in Cleveland, "I blame Hillary Clinton personally." Clinton, the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee, was secretary of state when the attack occurred in Libya in 2012.
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President Barack Obama is seen on a screen as Smith leaves the stage Monday.
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Marcus Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL who was awarded the Navy Cross for his service in Afghanistan, spoke about the need for an elite military. The convention's theme for Monday was "Make America Safe Again."
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Actor Scott Baio gives two thumbs up during his speech on Monday. "Let's not just make America great again," he said, referring to Trump's campaign slogan. "Let's make America America again!"
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Willie Robertson, star of the hit TV show "Duck Dynasty," promised the crowd that Trump "will have your back."
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Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, the GOP's presidential nominee in 1996, waves after listening to a speech on Monday.
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Marlana VanHoose performs the national anthem prior to Monday's evening session.
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Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, center, was among the delegates shouting for a roll call vote Monday on the rules of the Republican National Convention. GOP officials dismissed the move, saying there were not enough signatures to force a roll call vote. While it's unlikely a roll call vote would have rejected the rules package, it could have been an embarrassing protest vote against Trump and the Republican National Committee.
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Virginia delegate Waverly Woods protests on the floor of the convention.
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Delegates from Texas protest.
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Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, bangs a gavel as resolutions are adopted at the start of the convention.
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Delegates stand and turn toward the camera for an official photo on Monday.
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People walk in front of a screen displaying the American flag.
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