Did Melania Trump really plagiarize Michelle Obama’s speech?

Update: Donald Trump’s campaign dismissed criticism that Melania Trump lifted two passages from a speech that Michelle Obama delivered in 2008.

“There’s no cribbing of Michelle Obama’s speech,” Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, said Tuesday morning in a CNN interview. “Certainly, there’s no feeling on her part that she did it. What she did was use words that are common words.”

Melania 2016:
My parents impressed on me the value of that you work hard for what you want in life.
That your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise.
That you treat people with respect. Show the values and morals in the daily life. (watch the speech)

Photos: Dori Monson at the Republican National Convention

Michelle 2008:
And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you’re going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don’t know them, and even if you don’t agree with them. (full transcript)

Melania 2016:
That is the lesson that we continue to pass on to our son.
We need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. [Cheering] Because we want our children in these nations to know that the only limit to your achievement is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

Michelle 2008:
And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and pass them on to the next generation. Because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.

Melania told NBC News in an exclusive that will air Tuesday morning that she wrote most of the speech herself — with a little help.

It’s a bad blow for the campaign that wants to stress authenticity vs “Crooked Hillary.” Will the speech writer be fired by the time we wake up in the morning?

Trump’s campaign issued a statement Monday night:

Trump campaign issues statement: pic.twitter.com/zgfOMmgGr3

— Robert Costa (@costareports) July 19, 2016

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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