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Melania Trump’s Speech Sounds Oddly Similar to Donald Trump’s Ex-Wife Marla Maples

Have we heard this somewhere before? Melania Trump delivered a line in her latest speech, which sounded oddly similar to a statement previously made by her husband Donald Trump’s ex-wife Marla Maples. Listen to her speech in the video above.

During her Thursday, November 3, oration in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, the Slovenian-born former model, 46, spoke about becoming an American citizen. “America meant if you could dream it, you could become it,” she told the crowd.

Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, speaks at a rally for Donald Trump at the Main Line Sports Center on Nov. 3, 2016, in Berwyn, PA.
Melania Trump, wife of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, speaks at a rally for Donald Trump at the Main Line Sports Center on Nov. 3, 2016, in Berwyn, PA. Leigh Vogel/WireImage

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Incidentally, during a 2011 interview with Maximum Ink magazine, Maples shared an identical sentiment when speaking about her modest childhood.

“Even though I was from a small town of 500 people, I learned to dance, play clarinet, and play trumpet, all while playing every sport I was allowed to as a southern-born tomboy,” the Georgia native, now 53, said at the time. “I believed if you could dream it you could become it, so I didn’t see life as having any limitations. I was blessed.”

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Though Maples’ quote predates Melania’s by five years, the Dancing With the Stars alum is not the first person to make this kind of affirmation. As The Huffington Post points out, the late writer William Arthur Ward is responsible for the most well-known version of the quote: “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. If you can dream it, you can become it.”

This isn’t the first time Melania has been accused of taking others’ words. Back in July, she made a talked-about speech at the Republican National Convention. Though expectations were high, the mom of one — she shares son Barron, 10, with her Republican nominee husband, 70 — was lambasted for directly quoting parts of a 2008 speech made by First Lady Michelle Obama at the Democratic National Convention.

Donald Trump and Marla Maples during the Dinner Dance Benefit for the Make A Wish Foundation at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, in 1995.
Donald Trump and Marla Maples during the Dinner Dance Benefit for the Make A Wish Foundation at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, in 1995. Ron Galella, Ltd./WireImage

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“My parents impressed on me the values 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,” Melania said in her speech.

The sentence was almost identical to one in Obama’s 2008 speech where she said, “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.”

As previously reported, Meredith McIver, one of the Trump organization writers, took the blame for Melania’s RNC remarks. The ex-Celebrity Apprentice host accepted her apology and rejected her resignation.

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“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. I wrote them down and later included some of the phrasing in the draft that ultimately became the final speech,” McIver explained at the time. “I did not check Mrs. Obama’s speeches,” she continued. “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.”

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