The Internet Was Absolutely Convinced Melania Trump Had a Body Double During Husband's Presidency

In the whirlwind realm of conspiracy theories, for a very long time, the internet was obsessed with the idea that Melania Trump, the former First Lady, has a body double. The speculation, which first gained traction in 2017 during Donald Trump’s presidency, has resurfaced time and again ever since, fueling fresh debates and internet humor. The idea that Melania used a stand-in on various occasions has become a recurring topic, with social media users pouring over pictures and videos, searching for discrepancies. The hashtag #FakeMelania has been buzzing, with internet sleuths pointing out differences in appearance, height, and even expressions.

As such, netizens were all over social media cooking up stories about Melania’s alleged body double. One user wrote, “The recasting of Melania is the worst I've seen since they recast Aunt Viv in Fresh Prince #fakemelania” Another remarked, “Holy moly! #FakeMelania is back!” In agreement, someone else wrote, “Hey….. Didn't her hair look quite different this weekend?"

Someone else echoed a similar sentiment, “I know everyone likes to laugh about how stupid the #FakeMelania conspiracy is. So let’s just look at these two pictures from yesterday. How does a human being shrink a good five inches in a matter of hours?” One X user tweeted, “Melania having a body double is my new favorite conspiracy theory.”

Back then, as the chatter intensified, Donald couldn’t stay silent about his wife's supposed doppelganger. Known for his quick and often controversial responses, the former President took to Twitter to blast the #FakeMelania theories. In a contentious tweet, Trump accused the media of photoshopping images of his wife to propagate these conspiracy theories. He wrote, “The Fake News photoshopped pictures of Melania, then propelled conspiracy theories that it’s actually not her by my side in Alabama and other place…They are only getting more deranged with time!” as reported by AP News.

The ex-prez went further, arguing, “If our first lady if I were a Democrat instead of a Republican, she’d be Jackie O times twenty. Instead, they go after her," making a reference to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of America’s most iconic First Ladies. Akili Ramsess, executive director of the National Press Photographers Association shared his perspective, “Manipulation is against photojournalism ethics. Photographers or editors can be fired over such manipulation.”

Nonetheless, the unverified theory gained enough traction to be discussed on major platforms, including The View, where hosts debated the plausibility of a Melania body double. Abby Huntsman questioned, “Let’s have fun with Melania. She’s beautiful, and we’re doing this in jest. Does that make it better?” To this, Joy Behar nudged, “We’re not here to be better people. We’re here to have a good laugh."

During Trump’s tenure, the White House did not offer direct comments on what was said during the show. However, Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s spokeswoman at the time, criticized, “People died, people lost family, people are hurting in Alabama…I personally watched the president and first lady hug, listen to and comfort people who had lost everything - and the ‘ladies’ of The View instead chose to laugh and joke about a body-double conspiracy.”