By Stephen Dietrich, Managing Editor

The headlines are ablaze today with harsh accusations that Donald Trump’s wife, Melania, plagiarized a passage from First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention speech.

It’s enough to give the gossip columnists and late night chuckle-heads a field day, for sure.

And although the apparently lifted passage was of very little consequence, the video evidence is hard to deny.

But while the mainstream media and political talking heads are gloating over the misstep, there’s another issue that deserves serious attention.

Her speech writer (or speech writers) were either incompetent — or intentionally sabotaged her.

It’s no secret that journalists, like a pack of hungry wolves, look for lifted passages in convention speeches. In fact, Michelle Obama herself was criticized after her 2008 speech for allegedly plagiarizing a passage from Chapter 2 Saul Alinsky’s book, “Rules for Radicals.” (And, for the record, President Barack Obama has been accused of plagiarism, too.)

It’s an incident that any seasoned political speech writer would remember. And the idea that a speech writer would subsequently lift language for Melania Trump’s speech (especially from a speech given by Michelle Obama) is almost shocking in its audacity.

And, unfortunately, the shenanigans don’t stop there.

During one part of her speech, Mrs. Trump seems to have unintentionally “Rickrolled” the audience — a popular Internet prank that involves surprising an unsuspecting audience with lyrics from the 1980’s pop-song “Never Gonna Give You Up”.

It’s something young Americans are very familiar with — but something a Slovenian-born, non-native English speaker is probably unaware of. And you can be certain it wasn’t her idea.

The speech included an almost verbatim quote from a verse of the song, likely no coincidence.

But to reiterate (and to paraphrase @tvoti), the real speechwriter's scandal here is this ACTUAL RICKROLL?!?!?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/eSuFbbVs43 — mr. sonia (@soniasaraiya) July 19, 2016

Mrs. Trump is not a politician, she is a jewelry and watch designer. English is not her first language, Slovene is. And she has never spoken in front of an audience this large.

So, like most of us would, she relied — at least partially — on the help of professional speech writers.

Either intentionally — or with extreme recklessness and incompetence — those writers let her down.

Embarrassing?

Of course.

But news that is worthy of the front page of every mainstream media outlet?

Hardly.

There are much, much bigger stories than a non-English speaker being tricked into unknowing public humiliation. Media outlets busy gloating today are acting less like adults, and more like mean girls at a Middle School dance.

Grow up. There are far more important things to talk about.

Below is Mrs. Melania Trump’s full speech. Take a look, then let us know your thoughts — Is it possible Melania Trump was set up? Or is she guilty of plagiarism?

Comment with your opinion below.

— Stephen Dietrich is the Managing Editor of The Horn News