Governor Ron DeSantis is facing accusations of plagiarism from former President Donald Trump’s campaign. DeSantis used the phrase “Great American Comeback” in his campaign launch, which prompted Trump’s team to claim that he had stolen it from Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address.

The campaign highlighted the similarity between DeSantis’ use of the phrase and Trump’s previous state of the union speech in 2020, labeling it as a case of stolen language. These allegations emerged hours after DeSantis made his announcement, resulting in a release from Trump’s campaign asserting that DeSantis had plagiarized the phrase.

Trump’s campaign team quickly pointed out that the former president had used the same words, “Great American Comeback,” during his 2020 State of the Union address.

According to Breitbart:

What’s more, Trump used the phrase in his first sentence of the State of the Union after acknowledging then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and then-Vice President Mike Pence:

Trump teased the theme ahead of the State of the Union, as USA Today noted at the time. He also put out an advertisement during the 2020 general election entitled “Great American Comeback.”

The conundrum for DeSantis comes hours after fellow candidate, former Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC), blasted him for “copying Trump” from policies to hand gestures while speaking with Fox News’s Paul Steinhauser.

Haley said:

I’m just mentioning what everybody else is saying. I mean, you look at the fact, the way he speaks, the way his hand gestures are, the fact that he’s moved his policies. Whether its Ukraine and Russia to entitlement reform – he’s done a total 180. All of its copying Trump. He needs to be his own person. He needs to get out there and say what he believes, what he thinks. If he’s just going to be an echo for Trump, people will just vote for Trump.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung accused DeSantis of also “stealing” Trump’s policy platform surrounding the college accreditation system.

The plagiarism accusations against Governor Ron DeSantis by former President Donald Trump’s campaign have heightened scrutiny of DeSantis’ campaign launch. Not only did DeSantis utilize the phrase “Great American Comeback,” which was prominently featured in Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, but his policy similarities and gestures reminiscent of Trump have also drawn criticism from figures like Nikki Haley.

The comparisons between DeSantis and Trump have been ongoing since DeSantis gained prominence following his election as Governor of Florida in 2018. Many view the two candidates as strikingly similar, with some arguing that DeSantis embodies Trump’s qualities while maintaining a more poised demeanor.

These circumstances have raised concerns about DeSantis’ originality and authenticity as a candidate. Moreover, the accusation of “stealing” Trump’s policy platform further fuels the ongoing dispute. These developments present a complex challenge for DeSantis as he navigates the early stages of his campaign, where distinguishing himself from Trump’s shadow becomes crucial, and less and less likely.