Joe Biden faces new plagiarism accusation following DNC acceptance speech

Joe Biden is facing accusations he plagiarized a section of the acceptance speech he gave at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night. 

While the 77-year-old was widely praised for the 25-minute address, several Canadians claimed that some of his lines sounded suspiciously similar to those penned by politician, Jack Layton. 

Layton served as the leader of the left-wing New Democratic Party from 2003 until his death in 2011. Prior to his passing, at the age of 61, Layton penned a letter, which read in part: ‘Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.’

During Biden’s speech on Thursday night, he stated: ‘Love is more powerful than hate. Hope is more powerful than fear. Light is more powerful than dark.’ 

While the words are not identical, a number of Canadians took to Twitter claiming that Biden may have mimicked Layton. 

One stated: ‘With respect, Joe, if you’re going to quote the late Canadian NDP leader Jack Layton, at least give him credit.’

Biden has previously faced accusations of lifting from other speeches without credit, and last year his campaign installed a  $4,200 anti-plagiarism software program, according to The New York Post.  

Back in 1987, during his first bid for President, Biden faced accusations of plagiarism that ultimately forced him to drop out of the race. 

In August of that year, Biden delivered a speech in which he stated: ‘Why is it that Joe Biden is the first in his family ever to go to a university? Why is it that my wife who is sitting out there in the audience is the first in her family to ever go to college? Is it because our fathers and mothers were not bright? Is it because I’m the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?’

Listeners immediately drew comparisons to a speech delivered by British Labour Party leader, Neil Kinnock, just months earlier. 

‘Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Why is his wife] Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get to university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick?’ Kinnock famously asked.  

Biden gave no credit to Kinnock during his speech.  

The scandal prompted investigative journalists to uncover that Biden had used elements of other politicians’ speeches without credit. 

According to the San Jose Mercury News, in a speech Biden made earlier in 1987 he  had pulled lines from a speech given by Robert F. Kennedy two decades earlier. 

The paper also reported that in 1986 Biden used – without credit – a passage from a 1976 speech by former vice president Hubert Humphrey Jr. 

Biden later admitted fault for ripping Kinnock’s lines, saying: ‘All I had to say was “Like Kinnock.”  If I’d just said those two words, ‘Like Kinnock,’ and I didn’t. It was my fault, nobody else’s fault.’

Meanwhile, the Democratic Presidential nominee has faced more recent accusations of plagiarism.  

Last year, Biden unveiled a Climate Change Plan that did not did not accurately credit sources. 

Donald Trump jumped into the fray, accusing Biden of plagiarism. 

‘Plagiarism charge against Sleepy Joe Biden on his ridiculous Climate Change Plan is a big problem, but the corrupt media will save him. His other problem is that he is drawing flies, not people, to his Rallies. Nobody is showing up, I mean nobody. You can’t win without people!’ the President wrote. 

Biden’s campaign have not responded to the latest allegations.