Biden's D-Day Speech Draws Ire for Alleged Reagan 'Plagiarism'

Conservative critics have accused President Biden of plagiarizing former President Reagan's iconic D-Day speech in his recent remarks at Pointe du Hoc, France, marking the anniversary of the historic invasion.

President Biden's speech at France's Pointe du Hoc, commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day, has sparked controversy and accusations of plagiarism from conservative commentators. They allege that Biden's address bore striking similarities to a speech delivered by former President Ronald Reagan at the same location 40 years ago.

Young Americans for Liberty claimed that Biden's D-Day speech was "just a paraphrase" of Reagan's. OutKick Founder Clay Travis posted video clips of both speeches side by side, highlighting the alleged similarities. Former Wisconsin GOP Gov. Scott Walker remarked that Biden was attempting to "make Biden sound like Reagan."

Walker further criticized Biden, stating that "he wasn’t a great communicator just because of the words he said. He was a great communicator because he believed what he said and he made us believe it too. Joe Biden will never be as great a leader as Ronald Reagan!"

Conservative commentator Steve Guest accused Biden of being "Once a plagiarist, always a plagiarist." Former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen questioned why Biden would invite direct comparisons with Reagan, a master storyteller.

The similarities between the two speeches extend beyond the overall tone and rhetoric. Both Biden and Reagan described the events of the D-Day invasion in vivid detail, including the arrival of American Rangers, their ascent up the cliffs, and their eventual capture of Pointe du Hoc.

Biden stated, "Two hundred and twenty-five American Rangers arrived by ship, jumped into the waves and stormed the beach." Reagan said, "Two hundred and twenty-five Rangers jumped off the British landing craft and ran to the bottom of these cliffs."

Biden continued, "They launched their ladders, their ropes and grappling hooks, and they began to climb." Reagan described the same scene: "They shot rope ladders over the face of these cliffs and began to pull themselves up."

Biden concluded his narrative by describing the Rangers' eventual triumph: "And inch by inch, foot by foot, yard by yard, the Rangers clawed, literally clawed their way up this mighty precipice until at last they reached the top." Reagan's words echoed these: "Soon, one by one, the Rangers pulled themselves over the top."

Prior to Biden's speech, Politico Playbook reported that his aides had studied Reagan's trip to Pointe du Hoc and sought to emulate its impact. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment but received no response.

In his speech, Biden also emphasized the challenges and temptations to "walk away" from democracy. "We talk about democracy, American democracy. We often talk about the ideals of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. What we don't talk about is how hard it is, how many ways we're asked to walk away, how many instincts there are to walk away," he said.