Former President Donald Trump cast his ballot in Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday alongside his wife Melania Trump as online conspiracy theories ran rampant with claims she may have been replaced at his side by a 'body double.'
Fueling the question is the fact Melania wore oversized sunglasses through most of the voting process, and the fact she didn't say a word even when questions were shouted at her.
This isn’t the first time that the former president has been accused of using a body double for his wife, as such claims have popped up online before as his wife has maintained a very low -- some would say -- non-existent profile this election cycle.
On Election Day, photos of Trump and his wife standing and answering questions after casting their votes went viral on social media, with many pointing to Melania Trump’s outfit, which was less fitted than her normal attire, and the thick dark sunglasses that covered the upper third of her face.
A clip of Melania Trump was shared on social media by Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of the left-leaning website MeidasTouch, with the caption, “Melania’s been wearing sunglasses inside all day today.”
“Lots of people are saying they don’t think this is the real Melania Trump,” one person posted on X with a video that now has a quarter of a million views.
However, the clips online do not show the entire appearance of the former first couple, as Melania Trump eventually took off her sunglasses while Trump thanked his campaign staff.
Other photos captured by a Getty photographer showed multiple angles of Melania Trump, some with her sunglasses and some without them. And as fun as it is to be part of a conspiracy theory, the woman on Trump's arm was clearly his wife.
But the claims had so many views on X and in other places on social media that Snopes addressed it. "Rumor is obviously false," Snopes wrote. "There is no evidence of a "fake Melania" standing next to Trump as they spoke to the media. Video footage of them walking out from the polling station and press photographs from that moment identify the woman next to Trump as his wife."
However, the debunking website added that the body double theory has been "ever persistent." The former president and his campaign have not commented.