Trump campaign does damage control after Melania plagiarism charges The controversy capped what had already been a turbulent first day of the Republican National Convention. 
 
 Donald Trump’s campaign shifted into damage control mode on Tuesday, as a blame game intensified over who was responsible for the plagiarism flap surrounding Melania Trump’s primetime speech, with campaign manager Paul Manafort in the center of the mess. 
 
 Midway through day two of a Republican National Convention that was supposed to unify Republicans and highlight the best parts of Trump’s unconventional candidacy, the conversation has instead focused on still-simmering feuds within the party and unforced errors by the campaign. 
 
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 That portions of Melania Trump’s 15-minute speech Monday night appear to have been lifted from one delivered by Michelle Obama at the 2008 Democratic National Convention seemed only part of the problem for Manafort as he dealt with the fallout. 
 
 His defense of the speech, that Melania Trump “hit it out of the park,” and his repeated insistence that none of her speech had been grabbed from any other source, seemed to create just as much controversy as the allegations of plagiarism themselves. 
 
 “There's no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These are common words and values that she cares about her family, things like that,” Manafort said Tuesday morning when asked by CNN anchor Chris Cuomo about the plagiarism allegations. “I mean, she was speaking in front of 35 million people last night. She knew that. To think that she would be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy. This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down. It's not going to work.” 
 
 The plagiarism controversy capped what had already been a turbulent first day of the Republican National Convention, where anti-Trump forces disrupted proceedings over convention rules that resulted in Colorado's delegation walking off the floor. 
 
 Manafort's first controversy of the week ignited Monday morning when he said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that Ohio Gov. John Kasich was "making a big mistake" and "embarrassing his state" by skipping the convention. Those comments drew an audible negative reaction from the show's live audience in Cleveland and prompted a flurry of responses from Kasich allies defending the governor and attacking the presumptive GOP nominee. The back-and-forth between the Kasich and Trump camps raised concern that the nominee's campaign was burning bridges in Ohio, a state that every Republican elected to the presidency has won. 
 
 Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) quickly rejected Manafort's notion that the controversy surrounding Melania Trump's speech was somehow the creation of Democrats and the Clinton campaign. She scolded the Trump campaign and said it "should be prepared to be held accountable" for the content of its convention. 
 
 "The Trump organization, whether it’s Paul Manafort or anyone all the way up to Donald Trump himself, any time they are caught red handed, engaging in distortions, inaccuracies, a fact pattern that is clearly not accurate, they blame someone else," Wasserman Schultz said. 
 
 In a statement released early Tuesday morning, Trump campaign senior communications adviser Jason Miller said “Melania's team of writers took notes on her life’s inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking.” 
 
 That statement seemed to contradict what Melania Trump herself said in an interview with NBC's Matt Lauer aboard Donald Trump's plane, where the Manhattan billionaire's wife said she personally wrote her speech "with as little help as possible." 
 
 On CNN, Manafort said Melania Trump’s speech relied on “words that are common words” and that “certainly there’s no feeling on her part that she did it.” 
 
 “To expect her, to think that she would do something like that, knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be last night, is just really absurd,” he said. 
 
 In a separate interview on "CBS This Morning," Manafort said the similarities between the two speeches were limited to just three sections and "fragments of words." He said Melania Trump's speech was the highlight of the convention thus far for him and complained that the themes expressed in both speeches "are not words that are unique words that belong to the Obamas." 
 
 Asked by anchor Gayle King if Donald Trump would fire anybody as a result of the plagiarism allegations, Manafort replied, “I don’t think Donald Trump feels there’s anything to fire someone for.” 
 
 Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus hinted at his own displeasure with the plagiarism controversy at a Bloomberg Politics breakfast Tuesday morning, where he said he would "probably" fire Melania Trump's speech writer if the decision was his to make. But he also praised her speech as "very inspirational" and said he didn't blame her for hitting on "pretty common types of themes." 
 
 Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, now a paid commentator for CNN, said he agreed with Priebus that someone within the campaign should be fired over the controversy. He said it was "shameful" that Melania Trump has become wrapped up in a mess that Lewandowski blamed on sloppiness and lack of organization on the part of campaign staff members. 
 
 "I agree with Reince Priebus, whoever was the staff person who wrote this speech should be held accountable and should be fired. I know accountability. I know accountability in the Trump campaign and I know what it’s like to be fired from the Trump campaign," he said. "There absolutely has to be accountability. There’s accountability in everything we do. I’ve had that accountability. Someone should be held to that same standard." 
 
 Lewandowski put the onus on Manafort, whom he often tangled with behind the scenes, to find out what went wrong with the campaign's speech vetting process. He went on to say that if it was in fact Manafort himself who gave Melania Trump's speech the campaign's final approval, "he'd do the right thing and resign." 
 
 At a Tuesday morning press briefing, Manafort once again refused to concede that sections of Melania Trump's speech had been lifted from the first lady's and instead rehashed many of the arguments he had made earlier in his morning show appearances. Melania Trump "did a tremendous job,"he said, noting that she does not appear or speak publicly very often. He also reiterated his claim that the growing controversy has been manufactured the Clinton campaign. 
 
 "We don't believe there's anything in that speech that doesn't reflect her thinking," Manafort said. 
 
 "There's a political tint to this whole issue," he continued. "It's just another example, as far as we're concerned, that when Hillary Clinton is threatened by a female, the first thing she does is try to destroy the person." 
 
 On NBC’s “Today,” anchor Matt Lauer questioned New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie if he, as a former prosecutor, could "make a case for plagiarism." Christie, once under close consideration to join the campaign as Trump's running mate, said he could not, but admitted that there were similarities between the two convention speeches. 
 
 Trump campaign denies Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech Donald Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort said Melania Trump “hit it out of the park” Monday night with her address to the Republican National Convention, remarks that Manafort said were not plagiarized in any way. 
 
 "Not when 93% of the speech is completely different than Michelle Obama's speech, and they expressed some common thoughts," Christie said. "Listen, Matt, the worst day of a convention is the first day because everyone’s building up to it and everybody gets breathless, both the delegates and the media, about something to cover and a controversy to talk about. I think after tonight we won't be talking about this, we’ll move on to whatever comes up tonight." 
 
 Not all Republicans were willing to buy Manafort's assertion that the similarities between Melania Trump's speech and the first lady's were pure coincidence. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), who spoke at the convention Monday night, called the two speeches "too common" and said the Trump campaign botched its handling of the controversy, allowing it to grow instead of quashing it. 
 
 "I do think those are common words and phrases, but it’s too common," Duffy said. "I mean, they have speechwriters who put it together. Blame it on a speechwriter. Apologize and move on and let’s talk about Hillary Clinton, let’s talk about the economy, let’s talk about ISIS, let’s talk about what happening to our cops. But if you don’t acknowledge at least something’s there, this ends up being not just a one-hour story, it’s a one-day, two-day, it’s a convention story. And that’s the problem." 
 
 Roger Stone, a former Trump adviser who has remained close to the presumptive Republican nominee, said that while the media scrutinizes Melania Trump's speech, the issue will be ignored by voters who instead "care more and would be affected more about the image and presence and presentation overall of Melania Trump." 
 
 "The point I'm making is, OK, Melania Trump did not write her speech. Barack Obama didn't write his book," Stone said at a POLITICO Playbook breakfast in Cleveland, adding that the campaign should "slap his staffers, at a minimum." 
 
 The fallout from Melania Trump's speech is far from the campaign's first brush with allegations of plagiarism. Last March, The Daily Caller discovered similarities between op-eds written by Donald Trump and Dr. Ben Carson, published nearly two weeks apart, on the importance of America's territories and commonwealths. Carson, whose op-ed was published first, chalked up the differences to former staffers of his moving to the Trump campaign. The retired neurosurgeon told CNN, "it doesn't bother me at all." 
 
 Donald Trump has also dealt with claims of plagiarism in his business dealings. A New York Times report from last June outlined how the Trump Institute, a seminar business to which Trump lent his name, promised to offer the Manhattan billionaire's business secrets but instead sold customers materials with language lifted from a 10-year-old real estate manual. 
 
 

 (CNN) Donald Trump's presidential campaign doesn't plan to fire anybody or to take disciplinary action over the controversy surrounding Melania Trump's plagiarism of Michelle Obama, CNN learned Tuesday. 
 
 Trump's campaign hopes to simply move on without further addressing questions about the speech. 
 
 Aides to the presumptive Republican nominee are scrambling to move past the imbroglio after a passage in Melania Trump's speech Monday night, which headlined the Republican National Convention's opening night, closely mirrored a portion of Michelle Obama's address to the Democratic National Convention in 2008. 
 
 It's set off infighting and finger-pointing within Trump's campaign, and two sources told CNN that Donald Trump himself is furious about it. 
 
 Trump's aides chalked the controversy up to media bias and blamed Hillary Clinton's campaign -- even though the apparent plagiarism was discovered by an independent journalist and had gone viral before Clinton's allies and Democrats even weighed in. 
 
 In an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo on "New Day," campaign chairman Paul Manafort denied the allegations of plagiarism. 
 
 "To think that she would do something like that knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be last night is just really absurd," Manafort said. 
 
 JUST WATCHED Side-by-side of Melania Trump, Michelle Obama speeches Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Side-by-side of Melania Trump, Michelle Obama speeches 01:42 
 
 Manafort said the words Melania used were not "cribbed" but are common words. 
 
 "There's no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These were common words and values. She cares about her family," Manafort said. "To think that she'd be cribbing Michelle Obama's words is crazy." 
 
 Sean Spicer, the Republican National Committee's chief strategist, invoked "My Little Pony" in defending the speech in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer. 
 
 "Melania Trump said, 'the strength of your dreams and willingness to work for them.' Twilight Sparkle from 'My Little Pony' said, 'This is your dream. Anything you can do in your dreams, you can do now,' " Spicer said. 
 
 He also compared passages of Trump's speech with phrases from musicians John Legend and Kid Rock. 
 
 "I mean if we want to take a bunch of phrases and run them through a Google and say, 'Hey, who else has said them,' I can do that in five minutes," Spicer said. "And that's what this is." 
 
 However, Trump's campaign faced criticism even from allies, who largely blamed staffers -- not Melania Trump. 
 
 Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said Tuesday that whoever is responsible for writing the should be fired. 
 
 "Whoever was the staff person who wrote this speech should be held accountable and should be fired," Lewandowski told CNN's John Berman and Kate Bolduan. 
 
 Lewandowski, who is a CNN contributor, was fired from the Trump campaign last month. 
 
 Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said at a Bloomberg Politics event Tuesday morning he'd "probably" fire whoever was responsible for including plagiarized quotes, though he added: "It all kinda depends on the circumstances and how these things are written." 
 
 The controversy quickly overshadowed the speech, which was to have been her introduction to voters. It focused on her immigration to the United States and her love for her husband. 
 
 The Trump campaign released a statement on the speech after the similarities were uncovered, but it did not mention the plagiarism charge. 
 
 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 1 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump is seen on screen as balloons fall from the ceiling of Quicken Loans Arena. Hide Caption 2 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump's family joins him on stage along with the family of his running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. Hide Caption 3 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Confetti falls at the end of Trump's acceptance speech. Hide Caption 4 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump and Pence acknowledge the audience after Trump's speech. Hide Caption 5 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump claps on stage with his wife, Melania. Hide Caption 6 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention The Trumps embrace on stage. Hide Caption 7 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump hugs his son Barron after his address, which lasted well over an hour. Hide Caption 8 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 9 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump delivers his speech. Hide Caption 10 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump said the United States will be a nation of "generosity and warmth" and "law and order." Hide Caption 11 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A delegate listens to Trump's speech. Hide Caption 12 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention "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." Hide Caption 13 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump accepts the party's nomination as he begins his speech. Hide Caption 14 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump's daughter Ivanka takes the stage Thursday before giving a speech introducing her father. Hide Caption 15 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention "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." Hide Caption 16 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 17 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 18 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Legendary basketball coach Bob Knight delivers a video message to the crowd at Quicken Loans Arena. Hide Caption 19 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Motivational speaker Brock Mealer was among those who spoke on Thursday. Hide Caption 20 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A delegate dressed as Hillary Clinton is accosted by another delegate on Thursday. Hide Caption 21 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates stand for the national anthem Thursday. Hide Caption 22 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Young singer Heavenly Joy performs. Hide Caption 23 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump gives a thumbs-up Wednesday after Pence gave his speech. Hide Caption 24 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump gives an "air kiss" to Pence after Pence's speech. Hide Caption 25 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Pence receives a kiss from his mother, Nancy, as his family joins him on stage after his speech. Hide Caption 26 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Pence acknowledges the crowd as he walks on stage to deliver his speech. Hide Caption 27 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention "I'm a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order," Pence told the crowd. Hide Caption 28 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich delivers a speech on Wednesday. Hide Caption 29 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump smiles on the floor of the convention on Wednesday. Hide Caption 30 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Eric Trump, one of Donald Trump's sons, walks on stage to deliver a speech Wednesday. Hide Caption 31 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Trump listens to his son's speech along with other members of his family on Wednesday. Hide Caption 32 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates shout on the floor of the arena on Wednesday. Hide Caption 33 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 34 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention People react to Cruz's speech. Hide Caption 35 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Cruz gives a thumbs-up as he walks off stage. Hide Caption 36 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, another one of Trump's primary opponents, delivers a video message. Hide Caption 37 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A delegate checks his phone at the arena. Hide Caption 38 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 39 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates hold up signs Wednesday. Hide Caption 40 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Retired astronaut Eileen Collins waves to the crowd before delivering a speech Wednesday. Hide Caption 41 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 42 of 77 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." Hide Caption 43 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A member of the activist group Code Pink protests inside the arena during Carson's speech. Hide Caption 44 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 45 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Members of the Trump family watch as Donald Trump Jr. gives his speech. Hide Caption 46 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 47 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst waves as she stands with other first-term senators on Tuesday. Hide Caption 48 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 49 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates fill the floor of the arena on Tuesday. Hide Caption 50 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 51 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A delegate shows support for Donald Trump's wife, Melania, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 52 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A delegate whistles as roll call votes are cast on Tuesday. Hide Caption 53 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates take a photo with Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, center, on Tuesday. Hide Caption 54 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A Florida delegate holds a "Hillary for prison" sign on the floor of the arena. Hide Caption 55 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A convention attendee wears American-themed shoes on Tuesday. Hide Caption 56 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention House Speaker Paul Ryan bangs the gavel to open the second day of the convention on Tuesday. Hide Caption 57 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 58 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Donald Trump walks to his wife after she delivered her speech. Hide Caption 59 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Melania Trump claps during her speech. Hide Caption 60 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Donald Trump comes out to the song "We Are the Champions" before introducing his wife. Hide Caption 61 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 62 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention A protester flashes a peace sign on the floor of the convention on Monday. Hide Caption 63 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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!" Hide Caption 64 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 65 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention President Barack Obama is seen on a screen as Smith leaves the stage Monday. Hide Caption 66 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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." Hide Caption 67 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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!" Hide Caption 68 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Willie Robertson, star of the hit TV show "Duck Dynasty," promised the crowd that Trump "will have your back." Hide Caption 69 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, the GOP's presidential nominee in 1996, waves after listening to a speech on Monday. Hide Caption 70 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Marlana VanHoose performs the national anthem prior to Monday's evening session. Hide Caption 71 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention 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. Hide Caption 72 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Virginia delegate Waverly Woods protests on the floor of the convention. Hide Caption 73 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates from Texas protest. Hide Caption 74 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, bangs a gavel as resolutions are adopted at the start of the convention. Hide Caption 75 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention Delegates stand and turn toward the camera for an official photo on Monday. Hide Caption 76 of 77 Photos: The Republican National Convention People walk in front of a screen displaying the American flag. Hide Caption 77 of 77 
 
 "In writing her beautiful speech, Melania's team of writers took notes on her life's inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking. Melania's immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such a success," according to Jason Miller, the senior communications adviser. 
 
 New Jersey governor and Donald Trump ally Chris Christie defended the speech, saying, "There's no way that Melania Trump was plagiarizing Michelle Obama's speech." 
 
 "I just don't see it," Christie told CNN's Jamie Gangel in an interview Tuesday, adding later, "If we're talking about 7% of a speech, that was really, universally considered to be a good performance by Melania. I know her. There's no way that Melania Trump was plagiarizing Michelle Obama's speech." 
 
 Who wrote the speech? 
 
 Side-by-side comparisons of the transcripts show the text in Trump's address following, nearly to the word, the would-be future first lady's own from the first night of the Democratic convention in Denver nearly eight years ago. 
 
 There were a lot of questions about who wrote the speech -- but little clarity. 
 
 Sources familiar with the campaign's handling of Melania Trump's speech identify top Manafort deputy Rick Gates as the person inside the campaign who oversaw the entire speech process for Melania Trump. 
 
 Gates is denying he oversaw the process of putting together the speech. 
 
 When CNN's Jim Acosta asked Gates if he oversaw the Melania Trump speech process, he said "absolutely not." 
 
 Miller also denied Gates' involvement. 
 
 "Rick's not a speechwriter and he doesn't have a role in the campaign's speechwriting process -- we have other people for that," he said. "Anybody saying differently is being intentionally misleading." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Manafort: Plagiarism accusations are crazy Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Manafort: Plagiarism accusations are crazy 01:30 
 
 Democrats' role 
 
 Manafort, on CNN's "New Day," said the scrutiny over Melania Trump's speech was the work of Clinton's campaign. 
 
 "This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, she seeks out to demean her and take her down. It's not going to work," he said. 
 
 However, Trump's aides haven't pointed to any evidence of Democrats' involvement in fanning the controversy. 
 
 The Clinton campaign's communications director Jennifer Palmieri said Manafort's comments about Clinton's involvement were untrue. 
 
 "Nice try, not true. @PaulManafort, blaming Hillary Clinton isn't the answer for ever Trump campaign problem," Palmieri tweeted 
 
 Clinton's campaign on Tuesday focused instead on bashing Republicans for other speeches Monday night, including the mother of a Benghazi attack victim saying she'd like to see Clinton imprisoned and the crowd chanting at another point, "Lock her up!" In a fundraising email to supporters, Clinton's campaign said "there's a difference between drawing a contrast and baselessly saying your opponent belongs in jail." 
 
 White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday that President Barack Obama did not watch Monday night's speeches. 
 
 "As it relates to Mrs. Trump's speech, I'll let all of you weigh in on all of that and try to learn more about how exactly it was written," Earnest said. "What I can say that in 2008, when Mrs. Obama spoke, she received an enthusiastic reception and strong reviews because of her words, her life story, and the values that she and her husband deeply believe in and try to instill in their kids." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Christie on Melania plagiarism: 'I just don't see it' Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Christie on Melania plagiarism: 'I just don't see it' 01:05 
 
 Earlier in the day, Melania Trump told NBC's Matt Lauer : "I read once over it, that's all, because I wrote it ... with (as) little help as possible." 
 
 Here is Trump, on Monday: 
 
 "From a young age, 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. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son," Trump said. 
 
 And we need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them." 
 
 And here is Obama, on August 25, 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. 
 
 And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and to 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." 
 
 The reaction: 
 
 "(To be honest), I was more offended by just about every other speech than Melania's plagiarized paragraphs," former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau jokingly tweeted as the accusations went viral hours after Trump's address. 
 
 Tbh, I was more offended by just about every other speech than Melania's plagiarized paragraphs. — Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) July 19, 2016 
 
 Journalist Jarrett Hill seems to have been one of the first to notice the similarities on Twitter. 
 
 He's a big fan of the Obamas, and told CNN over the phone that one particular line from Michelle Obama's 2008 speech really spoke to him: "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." 
 
 When he heard Melania Trump start saying "the only limit to your achievements," he knew something was wrong. 
 
 Hill said he then Googled Michelle Obama's speech and saw the similar lines. 
 
 "It was kind of a total recall moment," he said. 
 
 After he posted the comparison on Twitter, his tweet garnered 16,000 retweets. 
 
 Um. This is becoming a thing. — Jarrett Hill (@JarrettHill) July 19, 2016 
 
 "Um. This is becoming a thing," he later tweeted. 
 
 Never gonna let you down? 
 
 In an even stranger twist, some on social media posited that Trump surreptitiously Rickrolled -- a common Internet meme involving singer Rick Astley -- everyone in the middle of her speech. 
 
 "He will never give up," she said of her husband. "And most importantly, he will never, ever let you down." 
 
 The chorus of the 80s classic sounds very similar: "Never gonna give you up/ Never gonna let you down/ Never gonna run around and desert you." 
 
 A bit of background -- Rickrolling is where you get someone to unwittingly click on a link to the video of the Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up."
– All the buzz Tuesday morning about Melania Trump plagiarizing a speech by Michelle Obama is "just really absurd." At least that's the stance the Trump campaign is taking after a controversial night at the RNC. She wouldn't "do something like that knowing how scrutinized her speech was going to be," Trump spokesman Paul Manafort tells CNN. "There's no cribbing of Michelle Obama's speech. These were common words and values." He then pivoted to attack Donald Trump's presumed Democratic rival, per Politico: "This is once again an example of when a woman threatens Hillary Clinton, how she seeks out to demean her and take her down." (See the speech similarities here.)