Politics - News Analysis

Melania Trump Busted Stealing Jackie Kennedy’s Design for Her Nearly-Identical Inauguration Outfit

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. And Melania Trump, it appears, just can’t stop flattering people. Left and right.

Stepping out to celebrate her husband’s inaugural day three years ago, it was her custom-designed, Ralph Lauren sky blue ensemble which caught the attention of many.

Clearly, stylish and beloved young First Lady Jackie Kennedy’s own inaugural outfit must have been the only photo on the designer’s mood board.

First, Melania stole the color, and most thought that was all she stole:

 

Turns out the design she wore was almost identical to a style Jackie Kennedy once won.

And this is by far the first time Melania has stolen someone else’s ideas.

Right after Melania unveiled her “Be Best” campaign, it was pointed out that she may have taken some inspiration from Michelle Obama . . . again.

As a reminder, Mrs. Trump plagiarized parts of Mrs. Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech in her own address at the 2016 Republican National Convention, including, hilariously, the phrase, “Your word is your bond.” (Oopsie.)

Some have even noted the similarities between Mrs. Trump’s Be Best and a call to action Mrs. Obama issued to men during the White House summit on women in 2016. “Be better,” Obama told co-speaker Oprah Winfrey. “Be better at everything.”

“Be better” became a notable quote from the event, but it wasn’t a recurring motto of Mrs. Obama’s, and Mrs. Trump’s use of “Be Best” doesn’t seem to be as glaring an instance of copying-and-pasting as the RNC speech scandal, in which she almost lifted an entire paragraph, practically word-for-word, from Mrs. Obama.

But it appears Mrs. Trump and/or her staff did, however, almost identically copy another aspect of the Be Best launch from the Obama administration.

A side-by-side comparison shows that the materials about “talking to your kids online” released by Mrs. Trump and the Federal Trade Commission . . . are actually nearly identical to a booklet released by the Obama-era FTC, with a slightly altered intro.

So, do the Trumps have none of their own ideas??

meet the author

Nicole Hickman James is a lifelong Democrat and political activist who first cut her teeth as a teenager volunteering for Mike Dukakis’ presidential campaign. She has worked and volunteered for John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, HFA (Hillary For America), and Organizing For Action. She’s passionate about liberal and progressive causes and considers President Obama her favorite president ever. She holds her Bachelor’s from Boston College in Economics and her Master's from Columbia, also in Economics. When not working as a writer, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her three college-aged children.

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