Cooper Allen

USA TODAY

CLEVELAND — Melania Trump's speech Monday seemed to go off without a hitch.

But shortly after the opening night of the Republican National Convention concluded, an observer on Twitter noted that a small portion of her remarks was remarkably similar to a passage from first lady Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention eight years earlier in Denver.

Here's the excerpt from Obama in 2008:

"And Barack and I were raised with so many of the same values: that you work hard for what you want in life; that your word is your bond and you do what you say you're going to do; that you treat people with dignity and respect, even if you don't know them, and even if you don't agree with them. "And Barack and I set out to build lives guided by these values, and to pass them on to 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 for them."

And here's the passage from Trump's remarks Monday night that came under scrutiny:

“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. They taught and showed me values and morals in their daily lives. That is a lesson that I continue to pass along to our son. And 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.”

It's not entirely a verbatim match, but the two sections bear considerable similarity in wording, construction and themes. Early Tuesday morning, the Trump campaign issued a statement from senior communications adviser Jason Miller.

"In writing her beautiful speech, Melania's team of writers took notes on her life's inspirations, and in some instances included fragments that reflected her own thinking," Miller said. "Melania's immigrant experience and love for America shone through in her speech, which made it such success."

Whether this was an inadvertent mistake by campaign speechwriters or a more calculated act of plagiarism remains difficult to discern. But it quickly became clear that the ensuing uproar would overshadow Melania Trump's introduction on the national stage

At least one prominent Twitter user, however, had nothing but positive things to say about the speech. Donald Trump described his wife's "speech and demeanor" as "absolutely incredible."

"Very proud!" Trump added.

Top takeaways from night 1 of #RNCinCLE