A Donald Trump op-ed touting his plan for American territories and commonwealths appears to have heavily plagiarized from a Ben Carson op-ed on the same topic, lifting entire paragraphs and making only cosmetic changes to others.
The Daily Caller’s Alex Pappas first noticed the similarities between the two op-eds, one written by Carson for The Marianas Variety in February, and the other “written” by Trump for The Pacific Daily News in March. Here, for example, is the opening paragraph of Carson’s piece:
Many Americans do not appreciate the patriotism exhibited by our brothers and sisters in the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
And here’s Trump’s opening paragraph:
Throughout the history of our nation, the patriotism exhibited by our brothers and sisters in the Territories of American Samoa, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands has often gone unacknowledged.
Many of the policy positions first forwarded by Carson appear word-for-word in Trump’s piece: “Once sworn into office, I will appoint a special assistant to the president responsible for day-to-day interaction with the territories and commonwealths. This position would be the direct connection for the Office of Insular Affairs and the citizens of the territories and commonwealths,” both candidates promise.
Another section that appears completely unaltered in both pieces: “Medical care in the American territories and commonwealths has historically lagged far behind the continental states, and Obamacare has only made the situation worse. Good health is an essential part of a thriving society and economy, and citizens of the territories and commonwealths deserve policies that work.”
Pappas created a helpful image showing just how extensive the similarities are between the two. [h/t The Daily Caller]
[Image via screengrab]
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