Real-life politician copies words of fictional U.S. president in speech at United Nations general assembly
Argentina president Javier Milei has been accused of plagiarizing The West Wing during a recent speech at the United Nations, making him the latest in a surprisingly long list of real-life politicians who have stole material from the fictional White House drama.
The leftist-hating, Trump-loving libertarian Milei’s speech to the UN general assembly took place on September 24, but it wasn’t until recent days that the Argentinean press realized that much of what the president said was lifted word-for-word from a speech made by The West Wing’s President Jed Bartlet in a Season 4 episode back in 2003.
Compare and contrast the two speeches, as translated by the Guardian:
Milei: “We believe in defending everyone’s lives. We believe in defending everyone’s property. We believe in freedom of speech for everybody. We believe in freedom to worship for everybody. We believe in freedom of trade for everybody … And because in these times what happens in one country quickly has an impact in others, we believe all people should live free from tyranny and oppression, whether in the form of political oppression, economic slavery or religious fanaticism. This fundamental idea must not be mere words – it has to be supported by deeds: diplomatically, economically and materially.”
Martin Sheen’s Bartlet: “We’re for freedom of speech everywhere. We’re for freedom to worship everywhere. We’re for freedom to learn … for everybody. And because in our time, you can build a bomb in your country and bring it to my country, what goes on in your country is very much my business. And so we are for freedom from tyranny, everywhere, whether in the guise of political oppression … or economic slavery … or religious fanaticism … That most fundamental idea cannot be met with merely our support. It has to be met with our strength: diplomatically, economically, materially.”
According to Argentinean newspaper La Nación, Milei’s plagiarism was likely perpetrated by the president’s chief strategist Santiago Caputo, a self-proclaimed West Wing devotee who has watched the series seven to nine times.
Milei isn’t the first high-profile politician to heavily borrow from The West Wing when delivering a speech: In 2017, then-British Prime Minister Theresa May was also accused of stealing part of another Season 4 speech when addressing the Conservative Party Conference. An insider said at the time that there was “no question of plagiarism,” the Mirror reported, but added that May wasn’t a West Wing fan.
