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South Florida Abuzz Over Melania Trump's Apparent Plagiarism

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- In South Florida the buzz was booming over the apparently plagiarized speech by would-be First Lady Melania Trump Monday night.

Donald Trump's wife delivered an address that included passages that mirrored a speech given by current First Lady Michelle Obama when she addressed the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

"The political world was thunder struck last night after Melania Trump's speech," declared an incredulous Fernand Amandi, political pollster and commentator on 610 WIOD radio. "A word for word, practically, virtually word for word repeat" of Obama's speech of eight years ago, Amandi said.

Amandi made much of the fact that even the Chair of the Republican National Committee called on the Trump campaign to fire whoever wrote the plagiarized lines.

Related: Plagiarism Charges Mar Melania Trump's Moment

At the University of Miami, Dr. Joseph Uscinski, a professor of political science, said the plagiarism scandal shows Donald Trump has amassed a staff that is not up to the task.

"Donald Trump really didn't invest all that much time or effort into hiring people who knew what they were doing," Uscinski said. "This is a major gaff made at a major moment in the campaign."

Katy Sorenson, a former county commissioner and founder of UM's Good Government Initiative wondered if Donald Trump might have a Brutus in his camp.

"It almost makes me wonder if there was sabotage involved. I mean, why would somebody set her up like that," Sorenson said. "You just have to wonder what the intent was. Why would anybody think they could get away with that?"

Sorenson, an advocate for ethics in government and among public figures, said Melania Trump's speech was "clearly plagiarism," denials from the Trump campaign notwithstanding.

Uscinski said "Plagiarism Gate" could not come at a worse time for Trump's bid for the White House.

"To have plagiarism take away from the message he's trying to give for these three or four days, that's unforgivable," Uscinski said. "This is one moment he has, a week-long infomercial, and he's already screwed it up."

Click here to read more about Campaign 2016.

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