But on Tuesday night, a more convincing explanation is coming into view. NBC News has obtained a copy of the original speech prepared for Mrs. Trump, as written by veteran speechwriters Matthew Scully and John McConnell (the scribes provided corroborating emails). According to the network, the first draft did not include any recycled Michelle material.
But Melania was reportedly “uncomfortable” with that text, and set about drastically rewriting it, to make it more her own – and ended up making it, transparently, someone else’s.
Per, the New York Times:
It was Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and top adviser, who commissioned the speech from Mr. Scully and Mr. McConnell — and praised their draft. But Ms. Trump decided to revise it, and at one point she turned to a trusted hand: Meredith McIver, a New York City-based former ballet dancer and English major who has worked on some of Mr. Trump’s books, including “Think Like a Billionaire.” It was not clear how much of a hand Ms. McIver had in the final product, and she did not respond to an email on Tuesday.
Research for the speech, it seems, drew them to the previous convention speeches delivered by candidates’ spouses.
From the Times’ report, it’s not totally clear whether their sources have specific evidence for McIver’s involvement in the fatal error. But NBC names another individual who dropped the ball:
The campaign repeatedly refused to identify who, if anyone, helped her craft the speech, though multiple sources told NBC News that Rick Gates, a top aide and ally of Manafort, signed off on the final text.
Let it burn.
