A recent appearance by First Lady Melania Trump at Donald Trump's military parade has reignited a favorite conspiracy theory among internet sleuths: the claim that Melania is being replaced by a body double.
Social media lit up after footage of the event showed the FLOTUS looking warm and animated... once again prompting speculation that the woman sitting beside Trump wasn’t Melania at all.
“Ummm I don’t think that’s really Melania Trump,” one puzzled viewer posted on X. “She seems nice and warm and older and wider… is that a body double?!”
Another user added: “It’s not really Melania. I’m a Republican, voted for Trump every time, and would again. But this is a body double, and not a very good one.”
Despite repeated debunking efforts from outlets like Snopes, the “Fake Melania” theory has continued to thrive in certain corners of the internet, according to The Express. First sparked in 2017 after Trump appeared alongside a seemingly different-looking Melania during a press conference, the theory gained traction due to her sporadic public appearances and often reserved demeanor.
Some of the latest images from the parade, where Melania was spotted smiling broadly and appearing unusually engaged, only added fuel to the fire. “A Melania Trump Body Double is a conspiracy theory I 100% believe,” one poster declared on X.
Though there is no credible evidence supporting the theory, it persists, perhaps bolstered by Melania’s long-standing reputation for keeping a low profile.
During her time as First Lady, reports noted that she was rarely seen at public events, and she reportedly spent only 14 of Trump’s first 100 days in Washington at the White House, per Business Insider.
Former communications chief Stephanie Grisham previously addressed these theories, telling CNN: “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.”
Melania herself has commented on public perceptions. In a recent interview with Fox & Friends, she said, “I feel I was always me the first time as well. I just feel that people didn’t accept me maybe. Maybe some people, they see me as just a wife of the president, but I’m standing on my own two feet. Independent. I have my own thoughts, I have my own ‘yes’ and ‘no.’”
As previously mentioned, this is far from the first time the FLOTUS has faced the "body double" conspiracy theory.
Back in April, Melania attended the funeral of Pope Francis alongside her husband, and people rushed to X to once again question if there were seeing the "real" Melania.
"Holy smokes! ! Where is Melania? ? No one's fooled by the body double beside Trump. This one is finally revealed as the fake Melania. Look at those un-sunglassed eyes: overly made up, not Melania's eyes or cheekbones," one user exclaimed on X (formerly Twitter).
Another asked: "Am I crazy or is this a fake Melania?"
While the theories remain firmly in tinfoil hat territory, the fascination with “Fake Melania” highlights the unique scrutiny and myth-making that surrounds the Trump family, particularly when moments of warmth or humanity deviate from the public's expectations of the often stoic former First Lady.