Argentina’s Milei accused of copying speech from hit TV show

Striking similarities were found between Milei’s UN address and a monologue from The West Wing

Argentine President Javier Milei has been accused of plagiarizing the hit US political drama The West Wing during his recent speech at the UN

According to the Buenos Aires Herald, Carlos Pagni, a journalist with the newspaper La Nacion, was the first to notice the “remarkable resemblance” between parts of Milei’s fiery address and the monologue delivered by fictional US President Jed Bartlet.

“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,” Milei told the UN General Assembly on September 24.

“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,” he continued.

Nearly identical words were spoken by President Barlet, portrayed by actor Martin Sheen, to his Cabinet members in episode 15 of season four of the show.

🇦🇷 Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, has been accused of copying a script from TV series The West Wing for a speech to the United Nations.

Read more here ⬇️https://t.co/O3QkUNSYOt pic.twitter.com/uoC9baEiF0

— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 4, 2024

Pagni suggested that the speech was written by Milei’s adviser, Santiago Caputo, who is reportedly a big fan of The West Wing and was said to have made watching the show a condition for joining his political consulting firm. 

Created by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, The West Wing ran for seven seasons between 1999 and 2006, winning multiple awards, including three Golden Globes and 26 primetime Emmys. 

Milei, a self-described anarcho-capitalist who is known for using brash and sometimes eccentric language, has not commented on the matter.

Speaking from the podium in New York last month, he described the UN as a “Leviathan with multiple tentacles” that attempts to trample on the sovereignty of countries and impose a “socialist” agenda.