First it was Elvis taking our music.

Then it was Bo Derek co-opting our cornrows.

Now it’s Melania Trump stealing First Lady Michelle Obama’s words.

We were amazed, then puzzled and now infuriated that Mrs. Trump, her husband’s campaign staff and a bevy of their political sycophants are trying to downplay the uneducated model-turned-Trump wife No. 3 and First Lady-wannabe plagiarizing whole passages of the speech the Harvard-educated Mrs. Obama delivered at the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

Mrs. Trump embarrassed herself and her strident husband Monday night before a GOP convention hall full of supporters in Cleveland and a television audience of 23 million viewers.

It was no wonder she received immediate, glowing, post-speech praise from panels of reporters and pundits on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News alike. It turns out, it wasn’t her speech. The words were the thoughts of an intelligent, thoughtful woman with deep feelings and insight.

But as an hour or so passed, and news began spreading that Mrs. Trump had stolen key ideas and phrases from Mrs. Obama, the tone began changing.

Initially, some of the media personalities made excuses for her — English isn’t her first language, her husband is running with a bare-bones staff, these same themes are touched on by everyone.

Only the African-Americans on the panels — Joy Reid on MSNBC and Van Jones on CNN — insisted that what had gone down was wrong and that Mrs. Trump should be judged with the same ruler and standards that Mrs. Obama is measured against.

And when the clips of Mrs. Trump were played side by side with excerpts of Mrs. Obama’s 2008 address, the faces of many white commentators fell. It was undeniable.

Calls then came for heads to roll, for someone to be fired and that an explanation be found of how the copycat happened.

Finally on Wednesday, a ballet dancer and speechwriter working for Mr. Trump’s company claimed responsibility and offered her resignation. Mr. Trump didn’t accept it.

We believe that the Trumps owe America an apology — starting with a personal, televised apology to Mrs. Obama.

This typifies the Trump campaign, where he plays by his own rules, refuses to acknowledge his own mistakes and then has the nerve to call others liars when he is the biggest fabricator.

Earlier in the day Monday, Mrs. Trump told NBC’s Matt Lauer that she had written the speech herself, with just a little help.

There’s a difference between honoring a culture and stealing from it, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has said.

The Trumps have dishonored so many.