Ben Carson Cites Reason to Be 'Very Happy' If Melania Trump's Speech Similar to Michelle Obama's

— -- Melania Trump is in the hot seat over accusations that her remarks to the Republican National Convention cribbed from an old Michelle Obama speech, but one of her husband’s former GOP rivals seems to be trying to help her find a way out.

Ben Carson, after addressing the Florida delegation this morning at a hotel just outside of the convention city of Cleveland, told reporters that there’s reason to be “very happy” if Melania Trump’s Monday night speech is similar to Michelle Obama’s 2008 address to the Democratic National Convention.

"Well, I think what we should be thinking about is if Melania’s speech is similar to Michelle Obama’s speech, that should make us all very happy because we should be saying, whether we’re Democrats or Republicans, we share the same values,” the retired neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate told reporters. "That’s what we should be talking about. Not trying to make it into a controversy.”

Carson, who said he doesn’t believe the speech was plagiarized, blamed the public outcry on people he says are bent on “creating controversy” and not “promoting harmony."

"I don’t think they were plagiarized. I know there are general principles that are very valuable to American and, of course, to express those principles you’re going to use similar language,” he said. "Again, I think we spend way too much time trying to create controversy and if we spent equal amount of time trying to promote harmony, I think we’d be a much stronger country.”

Carson, who’s among the headline speakers at day two of the Republican National Convention tonight, later explained to ABC News today why he’s backing Trump, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. The Florida resident officially dropped out of the presidential race in March.

“I like Donald Trump. I’ve gotten to know him,” Carson said. “He’s a person who loves America and none of us will ever find anybody who’s 100 percent compatible with our thoughts.”