Conspiracy theorists concerned with the wellbeing of First Lady Melania Trump were out in full force over the weekend after her appearance at a military parade in Washington.
This Saturday (14 June) saw a U.S. Army march through the streets of Washington D.C. collide with the 79th birthday of Donald Trump and let's be honest, was probably some sort of wild fantasy come true for the US leader.
The procession attracted tons of attention online, with viewers commenting on the lacklustre marching skills of US soldiers, a bizarre shoutout to parade sponsor Coinbase as well as the presence of President Trump's rarely spotted wife Melania.
The 55-year-old is notorious for seemingly shunning the political spotlight and First Lady duties, with her appearance over the weekend reigniting speculation about one of the internet's wildest conspiracies - which is, the Melania Trump replacement theory.
What is the Melania Trump replacement conspiracy theory?
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Also known as 'Fake Melania' and 'Melania Trump body double' the theory dates back to 2017 and suggests the First Lady is either always or sometimes replaced by a lookalike.
The theory was inadvertently created by viral tweet by a journalist from The Guardian, which read: "Absolutely convinced Melania is being played by a Melania impersonator these days. Theory: she left him weeks ago."
Rationale behind this theory varies, with believers suggesting the real Melania is either dead, divorcing her husband or simply not interested in being a public figure.
Interest in the theory has been reignited all over again, after a report suggested Melania had spent 'less than 14 days' in the White House during the first 100 days of her husband's presidency (via The New York Times).
After all, I can't imagine she ever thought her address would ever be the White House when she immigrated to America and tied the knot with the former businessman.
What did viewers say about Melania Trump's appearance at the US military parade?
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Ever since the theory gained traction, eagle-eyed viewers have been scrutinising every Melania Trump public appearance.
Her attendance at Saturday's parade saw the First Lady unobscured by her trusty oversized hats or sunglasses. However, this wasn't enough to hold back the conspiracy theorists.
In certain videos from the parade, the former model can be seen smiling and looking engaged in the first few moments, with later clips showing her appearing disinterested and even 'asleep'.
Taking to social media, one person gave a painstakingly detailed analysis of her appearance, facial expression and even size, writing: "Don't think that's really Melania Trump... she seems nice and warm and older and wider... is that a body double?!!"
"It's not really Melania. I'm a Republican, voted for Trump every time he ran and would again. But, this is a body double and not a very good one," a second person added.
What has Trump said about the conspiracy theory?
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Melania is yet to respond to the latest barrage of rumours, however, her husband did brand the theory 'fake news' back in 2018.
Following Fox & Friend's coverage of the theory, he tweeted at the time: "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!"
Topics: Melania Trump, Donald Trump, US News, Weird, Conspiracy Theory, Viral
Brenna Cooper