Melania Trump Defends 'Be Best' Pamphlet Against Plagiarism

Melania Trump is being accused of plagiarizing material from the Obama administration, but the First Lady is firing back ... saying it's not what it seems.

Melania launched her "Be Best" initiative -- promoting online safety for kids -- Monday at the White House, but she's catching heat because the pamphlet attached to her campaign is a nearly exact copy of a pamphlet published in 2014 ... while Michelle and Barack Obama were in the White House.

The pamphlet's cover, text and images under the Obama era are almost exactly the same as Melania's version. The text inside the pamphlets are the same.

Melania's office responded to the backlash and told us, "Mrs. Trump agreed to add Be Best branding and distribute the booklet in an effort to use her platform to amplify the positive message within." Her office went on to say the Federal Trade Commission, which originally authored the pamphlet, was excited Melania included it in her campaign.

The White House website initially said the material was written "by First Lady Melania Trump and the Federal Trade Commission." After the backlash, it's been changed to "a Federal Trade Commission booklet, promoted by First Lady Melania Trump."