Plot Twist: Donald Trump Jr. ‘plagiarizes’ line from anti-Islamophobia speech
Because everyone stopped talking about Donald Trump and his campaign after President Barack Obama’s incredibly powerful DNC speech last night, Baby Donald Trump decided to stir up some controversy:
For your convenience, here is a comparison of the two passages.
Donald Trump Jr:
There’s so much work to do. We will not accept the current state of our country because it’s too hard to change. That’s not the America I know. We’re going to unleash the creative spirit and energy of all Americans. We’re going to make our schools the best in the world for every single American of every single ethnicity and background.*
President Barack Obama:
What we heard in Cleveland last week wasn’t particularly Republican and it sure wasn’t conservative. What we heard was a deeply pessimistic vision of a country where we turn against each other and turn away from the rest of the world. There were no serious solutions to pressing problems, just the fanning of resentment and blame and anger and hate. And that is not the America I know. The America I know is full of courage, and optimism, and ingenuity. The America I know is decent and generous.
The line in question is “That’s not the America I know.” Now, to adapt a few words from Obama: You didn’t write that.
The six-word phrase has been commonly used and modified in political rhetoric for years. In fact, Trump’s political opponent herself used the phrase last month to attack the GOP nominee:
“Making Donald Trump our commander in chief would be a historic mistake and it would undo so much of the work that Republicans and Democrats alike have done over many decades to make America stronger and more secure,” she said. “It would set back our standing in the world more than anything in recent memory, and it would fuel an ugly narrative about who we are, that we’re fearful, not confident, that we want to let others determine our future for us instead of shaping our own destiny. That’s not the America I know and love.”
— Hillary Clinton (June 2, 2016)
The most famous occurrence, however, is from a George W. Bush speech — one less than a week after 9/11 in which Bush condemned Islamophobia:
Thank you all very much for your hospitality. We’ve just had a — wide-ranging discussions on the matter at hand. Like the good folks standing with me, the American people were appalled and outraged at last Tuesday’s attacks. And so were Muslims all across the world. Both Americans and Muslim friends and citizens, tax-paying citizens, and Muslims in nations were just appalled and could not believe what we saw on our TV screens.
These acts of violence against innocents violate the fundamental tenets of the Islamic faith. And it’s important for my fellow Americans to understand that.
The English translation is not as eloquent as the original Arabic, but let me quote from the Koran, itself: In the long run, evil in the extreme will be the end of those who do evil. For that they rejected the signs of Allah and held them up to ridicule.
The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war.
When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that’s made brothers and sisters out of every race — out of every race.
America counts millions of Muslims amongst our citizens, and Muslims make an incredibly valuable contribution to our country. Muslims are doctors, lawyers, law professors, members of the military, entrepreneurs, shopkeepers, moms and dads. And they need to be treated with respect. In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other with respect.
Women who cover their heads in this country must feel comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear cover must be not intimidated in America. That’s not the America I know. That’s not the America I value.
I’ve been told that some fear to leave; some don’t want to go shopping for their families; some don’t want to go about their ordinary daily routines because, by wearing cover, they’re afraid they’ll be intimidated. That should not and that will not stand in America.
Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out their anger don’t represent the best of America, they represent the worst of humankind, and they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.
This is a great country. It’s a great country because we share the same values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They’re outraged, they’re sad. They love America just as much as I do.
— George W. Bush (September 17, 2001)
I included the full text because Bush’s speech, given shortly after the worst terrorist attack America has ever experienced, is the antithesis of current GOP rhetoric. If Obama and the Democrats have “stolen” anything, it’s the notion that they — not the Republicans — are the party of post-9/11 patriotism and family values. (Note: See Libby Nelson’s Vox article on this matter)
Certain phrases tend to catch on in political rhetoric. So much so, that the Washington Post was able to publish a solid history of this particular one. But that’s not the point here.
Donald Trump has consistently and incorrectly speculated that Obama is a Muslim (which he is not, but even if he were, there is nothing inherently wrong with that). That Trump Jr. is (even “jokingly”) accusing Obama of plagiarizing a line from his RNC speech that was in fact made famous in an address condemning Americans of Islamophobic sentiment is beyond ironic.
*Author’s Note: The one area in which I do agree with Trump Jr. is that we really should start making an effort to improve our schools in America, considering the poorly educated are largely responsible for Trump’s rise in the first place.
