Millions watched Melania Trump speak on the first day of the Republican National Convention this past Monday. Many of them applauded her for a job well done in her first major speech in support of her husband’s push for the White House. But what they probably didn’t know is that they spent some of their favorite moments cheering First Lady Michelle Obama.

Minutes after the speech was over, Twitter did what Twitter does and called BS on something when they noticed that a noticeable part of Trump’s speech completely mirrored one delivered by Michelle Obama eight years earlier at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. After spending more than a day trying to deflect any accusations of plagiarism, a speech writer has come out to take ownership of the egregious mistake. 

Meredith McIver released a public statement claiming that she was responsible for including portions of Obama’s speech in Trump’s after speaking with her on the phone and discussing how much she looks up to the First Lady.

“Over the phone, she read me some passages from Mrs. Obama’s speech as examples,” McIver wrote. “I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech. I did not check Mrs. Obama’s speeches. This was my mistake, and I feel terrible for the chaos I have caused Melania and the Trumps, as well as to Mrs. Obama. No harm was meant.”

She also claimed that she turned in her resignation for the mistake, but Trump wouldn’t allow it because, “Mr. Trump told me that people make innocent mistakes and that we learn and grow from these experiences.”

While the Trump campaign looks to move past the incident, it’s sure to be on the minds of many voters going forward. Some have legitimate doubts about McIver’s real involvement in writing the speech and wonder if she was just the designated sacrificial lamb for the greater cause of Trump’s goal to become president.

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