Did Melania Trump plagiarise Michelle Obama ... and Rick Astley?

NOT only did Michelle Obama appear to inspire Melania Trump’s convention speech, but ’80s singer Rick Astley made his mark too. Twitter has been ruthless.

Melania Trump, left, has been accused of plagiarising a 2008 speech given by Michelle Obama. Picture: AP Photos

DID 1980s pop star Rick Astley make an unwitting cameo appearance in Melania Trump’s speech at the Republican convention?

It may not be as serious as allegations that her speech plagiarised First Lady Michelle Obama, but a number of people are also seeing in her lines a reference to Astley’s song Never Gonna Give You Up.

The Slovenian-born model said of her billionaire husband Donald Trump on the convention’s opening day: “He will never, ever give you up. And, most importantly, he will never, ever let you down.”

Did Rick Astley’s hit song inspire Melania Trump’s tribute to her husband, Donald? Picture: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Rick Astley’s hit 1987 song “Never Gonna Give You Up” has made a comeback in political circles. Picture: Suppleid

The Rickroll was so subtle and perfectly executed, some punters say she may have been sabotaged by one of her speechwriters.

Astley’s 1987 smash hit has had an unlikely comeback in recent years as an online meme known as “Rickrolling” in which unsuspecting internet users receive links to the video for Never Gonna Give You Up, with the tidily dressed English singer swaying his hips.

A number of social media users juxtaposed Ashley’s song and Melania Trump’s speech, leading some to become true believers that the aspiring first lady was Rickrolling the Republican National Convention in Cleveland.

Scrutiny has turned to Melania Trump’s speechwriter after her remarks contained striking similarities to the address by President Barack Obama’s wife Michelle when she addressed the 2008 Democratic convention.

“My truther theory: Melania’s speechwriter slipped in a Rickroll to let us know they were tanking it on purpose,” New York hip-hop radio host Jay Smooth tweeted.

Others felt some immediate effects from the online story.

Ireland-based Twitter user @brassafrax wrote: “I’ve had Rick Astley stuck in my head all day. Thanks a bunch, Melania Trump.”

Unsurprisingly, social media has gone nuts over the plagiarism claims, with the hashtag #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes trending on Twitter.

Famous quotes from history, movie lines, literary entries and pop culture zingers have been hilariously attributed to Melania Trump.

The Twitter shade is on form this morning... #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes pic.twitter.com/EUSCycAH5m

— Maps Maponyane (@MapsMaponyane) July 19, 2016

"Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes pic.twitter.com/HIimXpqf4A

— MixedUpMixerMan (@MixedUpMixerMan) July 19, 2016

"I'd very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that Ive never been asked to be apart of since 2009." #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

— Daniel Preda (@MisterPreda) July 19, 2016

It was the best of times 😂it was the worst of times 😭it was the age of wisdomit was the age of foolishness…👇#FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes

— Desarray A. (@DesarrayA) July 19, 2016

"Our routines are 100% original" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes pic.twitter.com/Da5jjEgppb

— Ian Warren (@ijwarren) July 19, 2016

I CAN'T BELIEVE #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes pic.twitter.com/XNA5cXHYH4

— no (@dunnomaybeyou) July 19, 2016

"It was hard growing up as a black woman on the south side of Chicago" #FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes #RNCConvention pic.twitter.com/lfv1jtCO5j

— Leslie Wimes (@WomenOnTheMove1) July 19, 2016

"my name is inigo montoya..."#FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes pic.twitter.com/6euuMn9tmw

— Laura Slobin (@lauraslobin) July 19, 2016

#FamousMelaniaTrumpQuotes The hashtag has me 😂 but the side-by-side has me 😂💀.pic.twitter.com/67AcJKxFHV

— Q. Allan Brocka (@allanbrocka) July 19, 2016

 

So a passage on hard work was plagiarized AND there was a Rickroll in Melania's speech. Is sabotage a possibility? https://t.co/4eDNQwKKRz

— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) July 19, 2016

Did Melania Trump just Rickroll all of us? Picture: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite