Melania Trump ‘Body Double’ Conspiracy Theories Aren’t Going Away Anytime Soon
Every new presidency brings with it a slew of new conspiracies, some more plausible than others. America certainly loves a good conspiracy theory, as oftentimes the things we’re told we’re crazy for believing turn out to be true–like massive government surveillance.
However, this latest one concerning First Lady Melania Trump isn’t one of those. While the underlying claim isn’t crazy, as it’s been practiced by leaders of all kinds since time immemorial, it’s not something the First Lady could hope to get away with in the current year.
As reported at the New York Post, the internet is abuzz with a conspiracy theory that posits Melania is making use of a body double.
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“This is not Melania. To think they would go this far & try & make us think it’s her on TV is mind-blowing. Makes me wonder what else is a lie,” wrote Vargas of BuyLegalMeds.com. Which, let’s be honest, sounds like a completely infallible and trustworthy website.
Vargas’ tweet set of a firestorm of meme-making and hateful remarks on social media, as it showed what he claimed was video evidence of an imposter.
The video showed Melania, in a trench coat and sunglasses, standing next to Trump as they were about to visit a Secret Service facility. Trump strangely referred to Melania at one point as my “wife Melania, who happens to be standing right here.”
A few hours later, the liberal rag Newsweek showed how Google searches like “Melania Trump double” and “Fake Melania” had radically seen their search numbers go up. Not to waste an opportunity for some internet points, supposed comedian Andrea Wagner Barton agreed that something was strange about the whole scene.
“Will the real Melania please stand up?” she asked her Facebook followers. “Is it me or during his speech today a decoy ‘stood in’ for Melania??”
She added: “And….Why would the moron say ‘my wife, Melania, who happens to be right here…’ Seriously, watch very closely!”
Before all the rampant speculation could make it any further, an FBI body-language analyst rained on the conspiracy theorists’ parade.
“Her stature and facial gestures, like her slightly pursed lips and her nodding at her husband, are consistent with what we’ve seen before,” Joe Navarro, who worked with the FBI for 25 years, told Vogue.
“Non-verbally, there’s nothing out of the ordinary about her behavior,” said Navarro, who noted the FLOTUS is very stoic by nature, which can make her more vulnerable to this kind of speculation.
And there you have it. A conspiracy theory that was born and died on the same day.
Source: New York Post
