Argentina's Milei Accused of Plagiarizing 'The West Wing' in UNGA Speech

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Facts

  • Plagiarism claims against Argentina's Pres. Javier Milei emerged on Thursday, as news outlet La Nación reported similarities between parts of his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York and monologues from TV series 'The West Wing.'[1]
  • Columnist Carlos Pagni pointed out that remarks from Milei about freedom and the international community on Sept. 24 shared their basic structure with quotes that fictional character Jed Bartlet made in 2003.[2]
  • He added that those similarities were 'hard[ly]' a coincidence, as Santiago Caputo — the speechwriter for Argentina's self-styled anarcho-capitalist leader — has reportedly watched the entire seven-season programme up to nine times.[3]
  • Apparent references to 'The West Wing' are no novelty for Milei-watchers, as his inauguration speech in December last year, and another in April, reportedly also echoed scenes of the show.[4]
  • Originally broadcast on NBC from 1999 to 2006, 'The West Wing' follows the lives of Bartlet — a fictional US Democratic president played by Martin Sheen — and his aides in the White House.[5]
  • Other politicians to have allegedly drawn inspiration from the Emmy-winning series include former UK Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian Labor politician Will Fowles.[6]

Sources: [1]Buenos Aires Times, [2]The Hill, [3]The Times, [4]The Telegraph, [5]Buenosairesherald and [6]Guardian.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by EL PAÍS English. As if burning more bridges with the international community at the General Assembly weren't enough of an embarrassment for Argentina, it turns out that parts of Milei's speech were plagiarized from 'The West Wing.' Instead of trying to lecture the world on the best way forward, he should focus on his own country as the numbers aren't currently on his side.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Council on Foreign Relations. Whether Milei did or did not take inspiration from 'The West Wing' for his speech at the General Assembly this year, what matters is that his remarks will be remembered for years to come, as he made clear the rarely-spoken truth about the UN to an audience that didn't want to hear it. These reports are merely a distraction from the challenge Milei has posed to the international establishment.

Predictions