First Melania Trump, and now Trump’s pick for national security spokeswoman? The Trump team has encountered yet another plagiarism controversy—but this time, it’s actually leading to consequences.
Monica Crowley, a conservative author and television personality, was set to be Trump’s senior director of strategic communications for the National Security Council. On Monday, she announced that she would no longer be accepting the job. According to The Washington Post, Crowley said in a statement that “after much reflection,” she “will not be taking a position in the incoming administration.” She did not address the plagiarism accusations, but continued to show her support for the President-elect, saying that she will “continue to enthusiastically support him and his agenda for American renewal.”
Crowley has recently been accused of not only plagiarizing her book but also her Ph.D. dissertation—it’s pretty self explanatory why this is absolutely unacceptable. CNN reported that the conservative author’s New York Times bestselling book, “What The (Bleep) Just Happened,” contained more than 50 instances of plagiarism. In light of the allegations, the publisher, HarperCollins, stopped selling the book last week.
Initially, the Trump transition team stood by Crowley. According to TIME, they said that “any attempt to discredit Monica is nothing more than a politically motivated attack that seeks to distract from the real issues facing this country.”
And so the search for Trump’s national security spokeswoman will continue. Here’s hoping the next candidate does not plagiarize.