Melania Trump's spokesperson has hit back at media reports which claim material she distributed to help adults teach children to be good citizens had been plagiarised from an Obama administration leaflet.
Mrs Trump launched the "Be Best" campaign on Monday to encourage adults to help teach children to be good citizens.
Several news outlets reported that material a pamphlet she distributed for adults to use when talking to children about being online was similar to information distributed during the Obama administration.
US media reports claimed that the pamphlet was almost identical to a nine-year-old leaflet from the Federal Trade Commission, with some suggesting plagiarism.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman, said in a statement that the "opposition media" used a day meant to promote positive efforts on behalf of children to lob "baseless accusations towards the first lady".
Ms Grisham said the initiative was "meant to support children and the many issues they are facing today".
"After giving a strong speech that was met with a standing ovation and positive feedback, the focus from opposition media has been on an educational booklet, 'Talking with Kids About Being Online' produced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2009," she said in a statement.
The first release online identified it as "a booklet by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission". This was then changed to "a Federal Trade Commission booklet, promoted by First Lady Melania Trump".
"The White House never masked the FTC's role in the publication, but appeared to suggest it was new and that Trump had a hand in it," Ms Grisham said.
More from Donald Trump
In July 2006, Mrs Trump was criticised when she delivered a speech at the Republican convention that included lines spoken by then-first lady Michelle Obama years before.
A speechwriter ultimately took the blame, saying she took down quotes Mrs Trump said she had "always liked" and then mistakenly included them in the final speech.
Melania Trump's spokesperson has hit back at media reports which claim material she distributed to help adults teach children to be good citizens had been plagiarised from an Obama administration leaflet.
Mrs Trump launched the "Be Best" campaign on Monday to encourage adults to help teach children to be good citizens.
Several news outlets reported that material a pamphlet she distributed for adults to use when talking to children about being online was similar to information distributed during the Obama administration.
US media reports claimed that the pamphlet was almost identical to a nine-year-old leaflet from the Federal Trade Commission, with some suggesting plagiarism.
Stephanie Grisham, the first lady's spokeswoman, said in a statement that the "opposition media" used a day meant to promote positive efforts on behalf of children to lob "baseless accusations towards the first lady".
Ms Grisham said the initiative was "meant to support children and the many issues they are facing today".
"After giving a strong speech that was met with a standing ovation and positive feedback, the focus from opposition media has been on an educational booklet, 'Talking with Kids About Being Online' produced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 2009," she said in a statement.
The first release online identified it as "a booklet by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission". This was then changed to "a Federal Trade Commission booklet, promoted by First Lady Melania Trump".
"The White House never masked the FTC's role in the publication, but appeared to suggest it was new and that Trump had a hand in it," Ms Grisham said.
More from Donald Trump
In July 2006, Mrs Trump was criticised when she delivered a speech at the Republican convention that included lines spoken by then-first lady Michelle Obama years before.
A speechwriter ultimately took the blame, saying she took down quotes Mrs Trump said she had "always liked" and then mistakenly included them in the final speech.
