Argentina's President Milei Accused of Plagiarizing Monologue from 'The West Wing'

According to SAEDNEWS, Argentina's President Javier Milei is in hot water over accusations that he plagiarized a well-known speech from the US political drama ‘The West Wing’ during his recent address at the United Nations.

The Buenos Aires Herald reports that journalist Carlos Pagni from the newspaper La Nacion was the first to point out the striking similarities between Milei's speech and a monologue from the show's fictional U.S. President Jed Bartlet.

In his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 24, Milei said, “We believe in freedom of expression for all. We believe in freedom of worship for all. We believe in freedom of commerce for all and we believe in limited governments, all of them.” He also added, “We believe that everyone should live free of tyranny and oppression, be that in the form of political oppression, economic slavery, or religious fanaticism. This fundamental idea cannot remain merely as words. It must be supported in facts, diplomatically, economically, and materially.”

These words closely mirror phrases delivered by Bartlet, portrayed by actor Martin Sheen, in episode 15 of season four of the series.

Pagni further speculated that the speech may have been crafted by Milei’s adviser, Santiago Caputo, who is said to be a fan of ‘The West Wing’ and allegedly made watching the show a prerequisite for joining his consulting firm.