See Update Below:

The Republican National Convention kicked off today in Cleveland, OH. Needless to say, its already had its moments. Tonight, however, the theme was “Make America Safe Again.” A full roster of speakers stepped up. Topics covered Benghazi, Duty, Honor, Country, crime, violence, and immigration. Personally, one my favorite speeches came from Marcus Luttrell whom Kim wrote about here. Other speeches that hit it out of the park included actor Antonio Sabato Jr., Sheriff David Clarke, Senator Tom Cotton, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Senator Joni Ernst.

One speaker drew considerable interest from media and convention watchers alike. As is the custom, the spouse of the presumptive nominee speaks on the first night of the convention. Tonight it was Melania Trump’s turn at the podium. Many were wondering what she would say, especially since she’s been relatively quiet on the campaign trail and has given very few interviews with the exception of the series of interviews she gave to the media four months ago.

Given all that has taken place over this last year and a half, given all that has happened today…if I was speaking on that stage, I’d be a nervous wreck. So, how did Melania rate?

It started with a “We Are The Champions” lead in and a very brief introduction by Donald Trump himself.

Family, integrity, compassion, values, and hard work were key themes in her speech. She spoke of a major American ideal that many of us, including myself, grew up with.

Your word is your bond and the only limit to achieving your dreams is yourself and having the strength to reach for those dreams.

She spoke of her husband’s readiness to go to work for all of America.

“Donald is and has always been an amazing leader. Now he will go to work for you,” the Slovenian immigrant said of her husband in her remarks to the convention floor.
“He’s sharp when he has to be, but he’s also kind and caring,” she said. “His kindness is not always noted, but it is there for all to see. That is one reason I fell in love with him to begin with.

Citizenship. She believes it is the greatest privilege on earth. Furthermore, she does not take the sacrifices of those who serve lightly and took a moment to recognize a key veteran in the audience, Senator Bob Dole.

She is a lovely sincere lady who has more depth to her than I think we realize. Remember this from several months ago?

Not only that, but she speaks 5 languages and has a degree in architecture. As stated above, there is more depth to her than we realize. For one who is not used to public speaking she did very well. She meant every word she spoke, and she was incredibly poised. Certainly her speech was scripted, but for the speech itself to resonate, the speaker has to have the heart for it.

Tonight, I believe she did. Melanie Trump may very well be our next First Lady. Seeing her tonight, I’d venture to say that she will be an asset.

Update: Not long after the convention wound down last night, the news broke that part of Melania’s speech was problematic and may have been plagiarized from Michelle Obama’s 2008 convention speech in Denver. Here is the passage in question.

“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 life,”

Here is the video of Michelle’s speech:

Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama tonight, and here's the video to prove it: pic.twitter.com/gCDeJL04zY

— (((Yair Rosenberg))) (@Yair_Rosenberg) July 19, 2016

Unfortunately, a well-delivered speech from the heart last night is now saddled with controversy. The Trump campaign and specifically the speech writers can and should do better than this.