Melania Trump made an increasingly rare public appearance alongside husband Donald Trump as the couple cast their vote in the US presidential election Tuesday. However, internet users could not help but notice that the Former First Lady of the United States refused to take off her sunglasses indoors - prompting a regeneration of ‘fake Melania’ conspiracy theories.
Donald and Melania Trump cast their votes at the Mandel Recreation Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 5. Footage of Melania, 54, standing quietly beside her husband, wearing a dress and sunglasses, quickly began to do the rounds of the internet.
“Melania’s been wearing sunglasses inside all day today,” reads one post on X that has gone viral with a staggering 34 million views. The post includes a video that shows the Trumps greeting supporters at the polling station.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wore a red MAGA hat, but Melania gave even the signature MAGA colour a miss as she chose a black dress and sunglasses.
Melania or fake Melania?
The video sparked conspiracy theories about ‘imposter Melania’ once again. The Melania Trump "imposter" conspiracy theories began circulating during Donald Trump's presidency, suggesting that Melania Trump sometimes used a body double for public appearances.
{{/usCountry}}The video sparked conspiracy theories about ‘imposter Melania’ once again. The Melania Trump "imposter" conspiracy theories began circulating during Donald Trump's presidency, suggesting that Melania Trump sometimes used a body double for public appearances.
{{/usCountry}}This time, too, many X users floated the possibility that Donald Trump had used a body double of his wife Melania.
“That’s the double, not Melania , easy to see when she smiles and that’s what the glasses are for,” wrote one X user.
“That’s fake Melania,” another wrote. Dozens of X users said “that’s not Melania” under the viral video.
Some even tried to offer photographic evidence to explain why they felt Melania Trump had sent a body double in her stead.
“The Melania double looks awfully nervous,” read one post on the social media platform. “I swear I'm not into the whole body double conspiracy thing but like...that obviously isn't Melania,” another person opined.
However, other videos show that Melania did eventually take off her sunglasses as she addressed supporters.
Melania is a Slovenia-born former model who married Donald Trump in 2005. They have a son named Barron Trump.
(Also read: This India-based actress voted in US presidential election, internet surprised to learn she’s an American citizen)