CLEVELAND _ Donald Trump's former campaign manager said staff responsible for crafting Melania Trump's speech on the first night of the Republican National Convention should be held accountable after portions mirrored remarks Michelle Obama delivered in 2008.
Corey Lewandowski, who was fired in June following months of controversy including allegations that he grabbed a reporter as she approached Trump, said the matter should be resolved as soon as possible.
"If the staff did not do their job properly, and didn't vet the speech properly based on the larger picture and narrative that she put together, then there should be accountability. No question," Lewandowski said before addressing a breakfast meeting of the Illinois delegation.
"I know about accountability in this election," said Lewandowski, who is now a paid contributor for CNN.
Melania Trump's speech on the convention's opening night was meant to introduce her as a potential first lady and help soften the reputation of her husband, who has been a polarizing figure as he prepares to accept the Republican nomination for president this week.
But it turned into a point of embarrassment for the Trump campaign when she delivered passages that nearly matched a speech Michelle Obama gave in 2008 at the Democratic National Convention when then-U.S. Sen. Barack Obama was receiving his party's nomination.
The Trump campaign said there was "no cribbing" of Michelle Obama's speech.
"Certainly, there's no feeling on her part that she did it," Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign manager, said Tuesday morning in a CNN interview. "What she did was use words that are common words."
Asked if the blame should fall to Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman and convention manager, Lewandowski said it's on "whoever is in charge of the convention."
"You can put that blame on anybody you want, but this is clearly an issue that should be resolved immediately, swiftly," Lewandowski said.
Lewandowski went on to address delegates from Illinois, recounting his history with the campaign and depicting Trump as a "blue-collar billionaire" fond of eating fast food on his private plane.
