Melania Trump appeared alongside her husband at a military parade in Washington D.C. over the weekend... or did she?
It's far to say the Slovenian born model has been a bit of enigma during her first and second terms as First Lady of the United States.
Asides from a memoir where she revealed her pro-abortion stance and a short-lived 'Be Best' initiative, Melania has never shown any interest in the world of politics. In-fact, she's reportedly even expressed a disinterest in the topic, with PEOPLE suggesting the 55-year-old doesn't feel any 'obligation' to the political world.
Her alleged disdain for White House life hasn't gone unnoticed by the public either, prompting a bizarre conspiracy theory that Melania uses a body double to fill in for her at certain events.
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Melania Trump body double theory, explained
The first lady having a wardrobe full of lookalikes to stand in for her on days she can't be bothered to fly down to the White House or accompany her husband to certain engagements sounds pretty left field, but it's one which has been doing the rounds on the internet for several years now.
Back in 2017, during the first Trump administration, theories began to circulate on the internet about a 'Fake Melania' appearing at events.
The theory gained traction following a viral tweet, which read: "Absolutely convinced Melania is being played by a Melania impersonator these days. Theory: she left him weeks ago."
As for the real Melania, she's anywhere from dead to divorced depending on who you ask.
Why is the theory back in the news?
'Fake Melania' was a theory which widely plagued President Trump's first term in office, however it has since been reignited after her appearance at the U.S. Army 250th Anniversary Parade on Saturday (14 June).
Melania was seated next to her husband for the event and pictured in what appeared to be a jovial mood, smiling for the camera and holding her hand to her chest during the national anthem.
However the First Lady appeared to soon grow tired of the 90 minute parade, which images soon circulating online showing her looking like she was 'asleep' during the procession.
This change in behaviour didn't go unnoticed by viewers at home, with the 'Melania body double crowd' soon coming crawling back out of the woodwork to share their theories.
"A Melania Trump body double is a conspiracy theory I 100% believe," penned one person on X, while a second added: "Ummm I don’t think that’s really Melania Trump… she seems nice and warm and older and wider… is that a body double?!! And why is the screen blurring over her eyes like she’s looking for a filter..."
What has Donald Trump said about the theory?
The theory naturally made its way back to the Trump and his wife, prompting the 79-year-old to slam the rumours as 'fake news' during his first term.
Responding to coverage from Fox & Friend's coverage at the time, Trump took to his X account and 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 places.
"They are only getting more deranged with time!"
What has Melania Trump's team said about the theory?
A spokesperson for Melania also addressed the theory during her husband's first presidency, telling CNN back in 2017: "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."
Just keep counting down those days until 20 January 2029, Melania.
Topics: Donald Trump, Melania Trump, US News, Weird, Viral
Brenna Cooper