In 1987, Joe Biden was forced to drop out of his first presidential run after it emerged that he had plagiarized a speech from Neil Kinnock, leader of the British Labor Party. Apparently old habits die hard.
The Trump campaign released a video last weekend that opens with footage of UK Prime Minster Boris Johnson declaring, “We owe it to future generations to build back better.” This is followed by a clip of Biden declaring, “We have a great opportunity to build back, and build back better.”
Johnson is next seen standing in front of podium bearing the words “Build Build Build.” He says, “We need to do things differently. To build back better and to build back bolder.” The video then cuts to Biden, who tells an audience, “Folks, it’s not sufficient to build back. We need to build back better. That’s what my plan is, to build back better.”
Biden has often used the “Build Back Better” slogan on podiums and featured in on campaign merchandise. The section of Biden’s website that details his economic plan is called “Build Back Better.” Curiously, Boris Johnson’s name is nowhere to be found.
Given how in his 1987 speech, Biden essentially ripped off Neil Kinnock’s life story, it’s not surprising that he would co-opt Johnson’s slogan. Biden also admitted to plagiarizing part of a paper he wrote in law school, which fits with a larger pattern of dishonest behavior.
At various points, the former vice president has said he graduated from law school in the top half of his class (he was actually near the bottom) and claimed to have have been arrested in apartheid South Africa while attempting to visit Nelson Mandela.
During his debate with Sen. Kamala Harris, Vice President Mike Pence even noted the similarities between Biden’s coronavirus plan and policies that the Trump administration has put forward. Thus, it seems that much of the Democratic nominee’s campaign is firmly based…on someone else’s ideas.
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