Republicans have used nearly every excuse in the book to defend Melania Trump’s plagiarism of Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech, but one of the GOP’s top strategists came up with a particularly creative explanation by way of “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.”
Appearing Tuesday on MSNBC, Republican National Committee communications director Sean Spicer quoted the children’s television show, as well as singers Akon and John Legend, to explain why portions of Trump’s convention speech lined up so closely with Obama’s words, arguing that an online search for any line in the speech would turn up similar phrases.
“Melania Trump said, ‘You work hard for what you want in life.’ Akon said, ‘Work hard for what you get in life.’ John Legend said, ‘Work hard.’”
“You’re quoting Akon and John Legend?” asked MSNBC’s Craig Melvin.
“Hold on, it’s getting better,” said Spicer. “Melania Trump said, ‘The strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.’ Twilight Sparkle from ‘My Little Pony’ said, ‘This is your dream, anything you can do in your dreams.”
“So the RNC isn’t taking this seriously?” Melvin interjected.
“A simple Google search of three phrases comes up with everything from Sparkle Pony to John Legend to Akon,” Spicer said.
Unlike the phrases Trump lifted from Obama, none of Spicer’s examples are word-for-word matches.
Watch the clip above.
Spicer also quoted Twilight Sparkle on CNN to make the same point:
Legend tweeted about the interview (referencing a recent statement by Taylor Swift), asking the RNC to leave him out of it:
Tara Strong, who voices Twilight Sparkle, also weighed in on the controversy:
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