The Melania Trump body double conspiracy theory explained

In the build-up to the 2020 election a political conspiracy has resurfaced – Melania Trump, the First Lady, has a body double who stands in for her at official events.

The bizarre theory recirculated on social media three years after gaining prominence, after users commented on a photo of the First Lady smiling on board Marine One.

The baseless claim has gained so much traction that spokeswoman for the First Lady Stephanie Grisham has publicly denied the claim.

She said: "Once again we find ourselves consumed with a ridiculous non-story when we could be talking about the work the first lady is doing on behalf of children, including the opioid crisis that is gripping our nation."

Melania double theory origins

The theory that the White House was using a body double to replace Melania Trump was first raised in 2017 during Mr Trump’s first year in office.

A video of a sunglasses-wearing Melania standing with President Trump at a press event was shared by California man Joe Vargas on Twitter alongside the caption: “This is not Melania. To think they would go this far & try & make us think its her on TV is mind blowing. Makes me wonder what else is a lie.”

The tweet was retweeted 60,000 times, the hashtag “FakeMelania" gained traction, and a conspiracy theory was born.

Can we have a serious discussion about #FakeMelania pic.twitter.com/dajeseb8Hr

— Ben Meiselas (@meiselasb) October 25, 2020