memeorandum: Exclusive: The Trumps speak with Matt Lauer (MSNBC)

2:10 PM ET, July 19, 2016

Top Items:

Gregory Krieg / CNN:

Melania Trump's speech plagiarizes parts of Michelle Obama's — (CNN)At least one passage in Melania Trump's speech Monday night at the Republican National Convention plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008. — Side-by-side comparisons …

Dylan Matthews / Vox:

Did Melania Trump include a Rickroll in the middle of her convention speech? — At first glance, Melania Trump's Republican convention speech on Monday was a pretty ordinary candidate's spouse address, but subsequent readings suggest a whole lot went awry here.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Fox News Insider, Mediaite, The Verge, Scripting News and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Julian Routh / Wall Street Journal:

Paul Manafort Blames Hillary Clinton for Melania Trump Speech Plagiarism Allegation — Melania Trump used “common words and values” in her prime-time Republican National Convention speech Monday night, said Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort on Tuesday, blaming Hillary Clinton for alleging …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Heat Street, BNR, Patterico's Pontifications, The Federalist, Shakesville and Mediaite

John McCormick / Bloomberg.com:

RNC Chairman Says He'd Consider Firing Melania Trump's Speechwriter — Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus defended Melania Trump on Tuesday after her convention speech drew charges of plagiarism, saying he'd “probably” fire the speechwriter if it were his decision.

Discussion: MSNBC, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Fox News, Allen B. West and Mediaite

Brian Beutler / New Republic:

This mashup of Melania Trump reading text plagiarized from Michelle Obama is incredibly damaging. — The cable outlets caught up belatedly to the unexpected, and unexpectedly huge, news out of the first night of the Republican National Convention, that several lines of Melania Trump's speech …

Discussion: Heat Street, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Eschaton, The Hayride, Daily Wire and The Week

Louis Nelson / Politico:

Trump campaign does damage control after Melania plagiarism charges — Donald Trump's campaign shifted into damage control mode on Tuesday, as a blame game intensified over who was responsible for the plagiarism flap surrounding Melania Trump's primetime speech, with campaign manager Paul Manafort in the center of the mess.

Discussion: Washington Post, Little Green Footballs, Towleroad, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times, The Week, ABC News and The American Spectator

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Trump aide: Michelle Obama didn't invent the English language — spokeswoman Katrina Pierson defended Melania Trump's Monday speech at the Republican convention against accusations that part of the address was copied from Michelle Obama — 's 2008 convention remarks.

Discussion: Mother Jones, Vox, Talking Points Memo and Breitbart

Scott Bixby / Guardian:

Republican convention live: Trump campaign insists speech not plagiarised — Paul Ryan and Ben Carson among speakers at RNC day two on the economy, as campaign claims Melania Trump's speech was not lifted from Michelle Obama — Trump backers play to fears of America on opening night of convention

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

Violence, Blood and Betrayal inside the Trump Potemkin Village — On MSNBC last night a bunch of really smart guys were saying how Trump would and must be outraged at how a staffer/speech writer on his campaign let his wife down, embarrassed her on a global stage. That person would immediately be fired.

Discussion: bradford-delong.com

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Melania Trump's speech appears to have cribbed from Michelle Obama's in 2008

New York Times:
Melania Trump's Speech Bears Striking Similarities to Michelle Obama's in 2008

Matthew Yglesias / Vox:
Melania Trump's plagiarism matters because it exposes Donald Trump's profound laziness

Discussion: The Verge

Katie Glueck / Politico:
Carson: Melania's alleged plagiarism a sign ‘we share the same values’

Discussion: Washingtonian, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Hot Air, ABC News and Guardian

MSNBC:
Exclusive: The Trumps speak with Matt Lauer

Discussion: New York Magazine, Politico, Mashable, New York Daily News, LGBTQ Nation and Joe.My.God.

Louis Nelson / Politico:
Trump campaign denies Melania Trump plagiarized Michelle Obama's speech

Discussion: Mother Jones, Media Matters for America, Washington Monthly, The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, CNN and ABC News

Joe Concha / The Hill:
Chris Matthews: GOP ‘ruined’ evening by having ‘that woman’ speak on Benghazi

Discussion: Politico and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Ed Morrissey / Hot Air:
On the floor: Giuliani brings the house down

Discussion: Althouse

Associated Press:
Trump Powers Toward GOP Prize After Outbreak of Dissent

Discussion: Politico, ABC News and WHTM-TV

CNN:
Melania's moment — Cleveland (CNN)Melania Trump stepped onto …

Discussion: Hit & Run, Mashable, CNBC, Common Dreams, Political Insider blog, Slate, The Week, Associated Press, The Right Scoop, SOOPERMEXICAN, Independent Journal Review and Politicus USA

Michelle Broder Van Dyke / BuzzFeed:
Melania Trump Copied Part of Her Speech From Michelle Obama

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Common Dreams, Gawker, Townhall.com, Independent Journal Review, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Plagiarism Today, New York Magazine, Hot Air, CNBC, Daily Kos, Guardian, The Daily Caller, ThinkProgress and Mother Jones

Gabriel Sherman / New York Magazine:

Sources: Megyn Kelly Told Murdoch Investigators That Roger Ailes Sexually Harassed Her — As a chorus of prominent Fox News women have gone public defending Roger Ailes against the wave of sexual-harassment allegations sparked by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson's lawsuit …

Media Matters for America: Report: Fox CEO Ailes Has Until August 1 To Resign Or Be Fired

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:

The Trump Captivity of the GOP — Plus TWS on exhibit in Cleveland. — Cleveland — It was always perhaps the stupider party, the clumsier party, and the stodgier party. But it was also the sounder party, the more constitutional party, and the more responsible party.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Tegna / WKYC-TV:
Utah delegate threatened in RNC bathroom

Discussion: Jezebel, RedState, The PolitiStick and The Right Scoop

The Salt Lake / Salt Lake Tribune:
‘You should die’: Trump supporters threaten Utah delegate, she says, at Republican National Convention

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

Cortney O'Brien / Townhall.com:
Newt: It's a ‘Betrayal’ If Cruz Doesn't Endorse Trump During Convention Speech

Discussion: RedState

STAT:

Norovirus outbreak reported among GOP convention staffers — An event worker sweeps the stage at the the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. — A handful of Republican staff members in Cleveland for the GOP convention were reported to be suffering Tuesday from a possible norovirus infection.

Discussion: Political Wire and The Week

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:

Inside the GOP's Shadow Convention — CLEVELAND—It was mid-April when as many as 1,000 alumni of the most recent Republican administration descended on Dallas for a staff reunion to reminisce about sunnier times. Former President George W. Bush autographed cowboy hats …

Discussion: Mother Jones, The Week, Talking Points Memo, Daily Wire, Political Wire, CNBC, Business Insider, The Atlantic and National Review

Tanya Somanader / Blog Daily Listings RSS:

Read President Obama's Open Letter to America's Law Enforcement Community — In the wake of the tragedies in Dallas and Baton Rouge, President Obama penned a letter to the men and women of America's law enforcement community. The President's letter was shared with officers around the country.

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Hot Air, New York Magazine and CBS Miami

Tom Morgan / Telegraph:

Man ‘knifes French woman and her three daughters’ in Alps resort — A French woman and her three young daughters were severely injured when they were stabbed at a holiday resort on Tuesday by a Moroccan-born man who reportedly shouted that they were too scantily dressed.

Discussion: The Daily Caller

Fred Kaplan / Slate:

What Has Happened to Rudy Giuliani? — He used to be a pragmatic moderate. Now he's spewing nonsense. — Exactly 20 years ago, as the Boston Globe's New York bureau chief, I interviewed Mayor Rudy Giuliani in his office in City Hall. The 1996 Republican Convention was going on in San Diego, and I asked him why he wasn't there.

Discussion: Campaign for America's Future