- There’s a wild conspiracy theory that first lady Melania Trump has been replaced by a body double in public appearances. A Facebook post explaining the theory has gone viral, having been shared almost 100,000 times. Conspiracy theories about first-lady body doubles have been circulating online for months.
A conspiracy theory that first lady Melania Trump has been replaced by a body double has gone viral, though conspiracy theorists have been circulating it online for a while.
The theory went from tongue-in-cheek to a full-blown conspiracy after Andrea Wagner Barton, an actress and comedian, posted a Facebook status on Friday.
“Is it me or during his speech today a decoy ‘stood in’ for Melania??” Barton said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the post had been shared more than 97,000 times.
The genesis of the theory isn't exactly clear. However, the evidence people have been using include a strikingly similar-looking Secret Service agent, President Donald Trump's apparent slip-ups regarding his wife's whereabouts, and what they say is the first lady's sometimes altered appearance.
Now the conspiracy theory is quickly spreading across the internet.
Some people discussing the theory are clearly joking.
However, others seem to have bought into the body-double conspiracy theory.
One person commented on Barton's post: "Oh my lord. That is totally not her. I am freaking out."
"Wow! That is totally not her! Look at that harsh contour on her nose! I've studied her face ... totally doesn't look like her to me," another commenter wrote. "What the heck is happening in this world!?!"
