Joe Biden is facing charges that he plagiarized a section of the acceptance speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.
While the 77-year-old was praised for his 25-minute address, several Canadians claimed that some of his lines were suspiciously similar to those of politician Jack Layton.
Layton served as leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party from 2003 until his death in 2011. Before reaching the age of 61, Layton wrote a letter, which read in part: ‘Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. ‘
In Biden’s speech on Thursday evening, he stated: ‘Love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than darkness. ‘
While the words are not identical, a number of Canadians took to Twitter claiming that Biden Layton could have mimicked.
One remarked, ‘With respect, Joe, if you quote the late Canadian NDP leader Jack Layton, at least give him credit.’
Biden has previously faced accusations of canceling other speeches without credit, and last year his campaign installed a $ 4,200 anti-plagiarism software program, according to The New York Post.
Joe Biden is accused of plagiarizing a section of the speech while accepting his party’s nomination at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. Many on social media claim that some of his lines are suspiciously similar to those penned by the late Canadian politician, Jack Layton
Several Canadians were quick to call for similarities between Biden’s speech and Layton’s letter
In 1987, during his first bid for president, Biden faced accusations of plagiarism that eventually forced him to drop out of the race.
In August of that year, Biden delivered a speech in which he explained, ‘Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family to ever go to college? Why is it that my wife, who has been sitting there in public, is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I’m the first Biden in a thousand generations to take a college and a graduation exam that I was worse than the rest? ‘
Listeners immediately compared it to a speech delivered by British Labor leader Neil Kinnock just months earlier.
‘Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to go to university? Why is his wife]Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to come to university? Was it because all our predecessors were fat? ‘Kinnock asked famously.
Biden gave no credit to Kinnock during his speech.
The scandal prompted investigative journalists to discover that Biden had used elements of the speeches of other politicians without credit.
Woops! In 1987, during his first bid for president, Biden faced accusations of plagiarism that eventually forced him to drop out of the race. He is pictured on the campaign trail that year
According to the San Jose Mercury News, in a speech Biden made earlier in 1987, he drew lines from a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy two decades earlier.
The paper also reported that Biden in 1986 – without credit – used a passage from a 1976 speech by former Vice President Hubert Humphrey Jr.
Biden later pleaded guilty to ripping off Kinnock’s lines, saying, ‘All I had to say was “like Kinnock.” If I were to say just those two words, ‘like Kinnock,’ and I would not. It was my fault, the fault of no one else. ‘
Meanwhile, the Democratic presidential candidate has to get more conclusions from plagiarism.
Last year, Biden unveiled a Climate Change Plan that does not accurately credit sources.
Donald Trump jumped into the angry, accused Biden of plagiarism.
‘Plagiarism allegations against Sleepy Joe Biden on his ridiculous Climate Change Plan are a big problem, but the corrupt media will save him. His other problem is that he flees, not people, to his Rallies. No one appears, I mean no one. You can not win without people! the president wrote.
Biden’s campaign has not responded to the latest allegations.
Last year, Biden unveiled a Climate Change Plan that does not accurately credit sources. Donald Trump jumped into the angry, accused Biden of plagiarism
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