Gov. Chris Christie says if he were a prosecutor he couldn't make the case that Melania Trump plagiarized her Republican National Convention speech.

"Not when 93% of the speech is completely different than Michelle Obama's speech. They expressed some common thoughts," the governor said of the speech on NBC's Today Show.

Two passages in Mrs. Trump's speech used practically identical verbiage to passages in the Democratic National Convention speech Michelle Obama gave in 2008.

Put side-by-side, the overlaps are difficult to miss:

In Melania Trump’s speech in Cleveland, she said: “From a young age, my parents impressed on me the values that you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond and you do what you say and keep your promise, that you treat people with respect."

In Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech in Denver, she said: “And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: like, you work hard for what you want in life, that your word is your bond, that you do what you say you’re going to do, that you treat people with dignity and respect."

From Melania Trump's speech: “We need to pass those lessons on to the many generations to follow. Because we want our children in this nation to know that the only limit to your achievements is the strength of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.”

From Michelle Obama's speech: “Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values and to pass them onto the next generation, because we want our children — and all children in this nation — to know that the only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them."

Gov. Chris Christie and son Andrew at the GOP Convention in Cleveland (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Gov. Chris Christie and son Andrew at the GOP Convention in Cleveland (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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"I know Melania. I think she worked very hard on that speech. A lot of what I heard last night sitting on the floor sounded very much like her and the way she speaks about Donald all the time. Having been friends with them for 14 years that sounded like her to me last night," Christie said Tuesday.

Christie defended the Trump presidential staff and said it is doing a lot of things at one time, and thinks the controversy will be forgotten.

The seeming plagiarism has been met with ridicule and scorn online.

(For the record, the New Jersey 101.5 staff thinks Jax did the last one better.)

Christie also admitted that he was disappointed at not being named Trump's running mate but denied reports that he was angry at the decision: "I never expected to be chosen. The fact is that over the course of my 14-year relationship with Donald he knows I am going to be there for him and he's been there for me."

He also denied allegations that Donald's son-in-law Jared Kushner might have had a role in pushing him out of the running, as Indiana Governor Mike Pence was was named the vice presidential candidate instead.

"Our relationship has been really good professionally and warm personally as it has been with all of Donald's children over the years," Christie said.

As for his own speech on Tuesday night before the convention, Christie said delegates will see someone with experience in the courtroom who can make a case.

"I'm going to make a case that Donald Trump is ready to be president of the United States and perhaps his opponent is not," Christie said.

Christie said his involvement in a Trump administration would depend on what position might be offered.

"I have two young children at home an uprooting them to Washington it would have to be something that I really could make a meaningful contribution to the country," Christie said.

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