If you caught the speech by Argentinian president Javier Milei to the United Nations last week and found it particularly inspiring, you might want to thank Aaron Sorkin.
Milei appears to have lifted big chunks of dialogue from The West Wing for his first address to the General Assembly. The heavily quoted elements of the speech were not exactly word-for-word with an episode from the show’s fourth season—specifically the 15th episode, where President Jed Bartlet, played by Martin Sheen, spoke with his staff—but they were remarkably close.
“We are for freedom of speech everywhere,” Bartlet said in the episode. “We are for freedom of religion everywhere. We are for the freedom to learn…for everyone. And since in our time, you can build a bomb in our country and bring it into mine, what happens in your country is my business.
“So we are for freedom from tyranny, everywhere, whether it comes in the guise of political oppression, Toby, or economic slavery, Josh, or religious fanaticism, C.J. That fundamental idea cannot be met simply by our support. It must be met with our force. Diplomatically, economically, and materially.”
Milei, at the end of his 15-minute address to the General Assembly, told delegates, “We believe in freedom of speech for all; we believe in freedom of worship for all; we believe in freedom of trade for all and we believe in limited governments, all of them.
“And because in these times what happens in one country quickly impacts others, we believe that all peoples should live free from tyranny and oppression, whether it takes the form of political oppression, economic slavery, or religious fanaticism. That fundamental idea must not remain mere words; it has to be supported by deeds, diplomatically, economically, and materially.”
JAJAJAJAJA el discurso de Milei en la ONU es la copia del diálogo de un personaje de The West Wing, no puede ser pic.twitter.com/qU7mWoBFYh
— Poli (@poliallday) October 3, 2024
Like Bartlet on the show, Milei is an economist and professor who transitioned into politics. Unlike Bartlet, Milei is a populist, who has been known to wave chainsaws around his supporters.
This isn’t the first time Milei, reportedly a big fan of The West Wing, has borrowed from the NBC series. Dialogue very reminiscent of another episode found its way into his inaugural speech.