The Melania Trump “body double” conspiracy theory rose from the ashes as an X (formerly Twitter) user posted a photo of US President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, walking toward a helicopter on April 25.
The theory states that a stand-in was hired to fill in for Melania during important events, and it first gained traction during Trump’s first presidency.
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The history of the “body double” conspiracy theory
The conspiracy theory gained popularity in 2017 when online users with sharp eyes claimed they caught discrepancies in Melania’s appearances at public events.
These theorists always insisted that something was off, whether it be her height, posture, or facial features. The grainy footage, stiff body language, and oversized sunglasses also fueled the conspiracy theory fire.
Her appearance at the papal funeral revived the theories again
Melania was dressed in a somber black blazer dress and veil in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, Italy.
Social media users and viewers felt that there were discrepancies in Melania’s eyes, cheekbones, and expressions.
Some people felt strongly about this
Some of the theorists accused Trump of “trotting out” a stand-in to keep up the facade of a happy marriage.
“There’s an obviously fake version of Melania that they keep trotting out to extend the illusion of the Trumps happily married + her engaged in his Presidency when they’re estranged, she can’t stand him + it’s all a financial arrangement,” said one user.
Theorists were still wondering where Melania was
“Holy smokes! Where is Melania? No one’s fooled by the body double beside Trump,” one user wondered. “Am I crazy or is this a fake Melania?” another asked.
“Reports are that one of the fake Melania stand-ins is going to Rome with Epstein child crime cohort Donald Trump for the Pope Francis funeral,” a third user added.
But there is no concrete proof of their claims
While the theory is like a snake that you cut its head and it grows into two, no solid evidence has been there to verify or nullify the theory.
The roots of the theory stem from the users’ trust issues when it comes down to the credibility of what they see through media.
And the users still believe the “body double” conspiracy
Call to Activism’s post on X attracted some of the “body double” theorists in the replies. “I don’t notice how they walked to the helicopter, but from the back, that is not Melania or DJT, IMO. Melania wouldn’t wear an off-the-rack coat,” one user noted.
“Melania never wears flat shoes either…I’m betting that this is the fake body double Melania because the real Melania did not want to have to go and stay with Trump overseas for the entire trip…” another added.