‘Fake Melania’ conspiracy theory about body double is ‘deranged’, says Donald Trump
- Claims that body double for Melania Trump sometimes accompanies US leader were revived after visit to site of deadly Alabama tornado
- TV show participants point to height difference in photos of woman with Trump in last week’s trip
No, US President Donald Trump told conspiracy theorists on Wednesday, he does not have a body double of his wife accompanying him on work trips.
A bizarre claim that First Lady Melania Trump is sometimes replaced by another woman hidden behind large sunglasses and similar outfits resurfaced after Trump made a trip to the site of a deadly tornado in Alabama last week.
Days later, Trump leapt on the story, which is an outlier even by the feverish standards of the Washington rumour mill.
“The Fake News photoshopped pictures of Melania, then propelled conspiracy theories that it’s actually not her by my side in Alabama and other places,” he tweeted. “They are only getting more deranged with time!”
The body double conspiracy theory has been around since at least 2017, but resurfaced on Monday when participants on ABC television’s morning show The View examined a surge of internet chatter about the former fashion model’s Alabama appearance under the #fakeMelania hashtag.
Commentators on the show noted that the woman with Trump last week looked shorter than usual in photos and had a different facial structure. The first lady ditched her customary stilettos and wore trainers on the trip.