Conspiracy theorists are convinced that Vladimir Putin did not actually meet Donald Trump in Alaska. Instead, they claim, the Russian president sent one of his many body doubles to American soil.
Conspiracy theorists based their assumptions on Putin’s appearance and gait, claiming that the person who landed in Alaska had fuller cheekbones and appeared more jovial than the actual Russian leader.
Putin sends body double to meet Trump?
“I think that is Putin’s body double #5. Does not quite look like him. His cheeks are rounder and does not walk with his customary low movement right arm. A classic KGB walk he uses,” one social media user said.
Some social media users claimed that Putin has a series of doppelgangers who make public appearances on his behalf.
{{/usCountry}}Some social media users claimed that Putin has a series of doppelgangers who make public appearances on his behalf.
{{/usCountry}}“Its literally not even the real Putin. They didn't even send the good double, they sent ‘Jovial Putin’, the expendable one that usually just makes minor public appearances and went to visit Kim in NK,” wrote one X user.
“Anyone that still doesn't understand that this is Putin's most expendable double is a moron,” another posted.
“Cheeks are too pudgy and he smiles too much. Looks like he's trying to hold back laughter the whole time,” one conspiracy theorist claimed. “He’s too animated. The real Putin is more straight face, very little emotion,” another opined.
Speculation surrounds Putin
The speculation around Putin using body doubles is not new. There is, in fact, an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to “Alleged doubles of Vladimir Putin”.Supporters of the doppelganger theory believe that Putin’s doubles have undergone surgery to look more like the 72-year-old Russian leader.
However, slight differences in gait and appearance give them away, the proponents claim. One such difference is Putin’s trademark gunslinger gait, which body doubles fail to imitate.
Putin’s gunslinger gait
Putin’s “gunslinger gait” is a way of walking where one arm (usually his right) stays unusually still by his side, while the other arm (his left) swings normally.
Neurologists say this isn’t due to a medical problem, but likely comes from his KGB training. In the Soviet security service, agents were taught to keep their weapon hand (the right hand) close to the chest or near a holster while walking, so they could quickly draw a gun if needed.