Wait. Is That Really Melania Trump With Donald? Or Maybe.... The First Lady's Double?

On November 5, 2024, as Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, cast their votes in Palm Beach, Florida, the "Fake Melania" conspiracy theory roared back to life. As usual, a few eagle-eyed internet sleuths couldn't help but notice something "off." This time, though, it wasn't just the signature oversized sunglasses hiding Melania's face-it was the fact that she was smiling. And if there's one thing the internet insists the real Melania doesn't do, it's smile.

The footage, shared widely on X (formerly Twitter), showed Melania's beaming face beside her husband. For believers of the "Fake Melania" theory, this was a smoking gun. After all, the real Melania, famous for her cool, often stoic demeanor, doesn't usually flash such cheery expressions. To these observers, the smile wasn't just an expression but a clue, a subtle tell that the woman in the video was no First Lady but rather a carefully chosen stand-in.

Melania's bone structure is off.jpg

FLOTUS Melania Frowning.

Predictably, major news outlets like NBC New York confirmed that the woman at Trump's side was indeed Melania herself. At one point, she even removed her sunglasses, offering a clear view of her unmistakable features. But the added clarity only fed the conspiracy fires further: now, it wasn't just that this "imposter" looked like Melania, but that she was doing things-the uncharacteristic smile, the sunny expressions-that the "real" Melania just wouldn't do.

Since 2017, this theory has emerged every time Melania's public appearance seems even slightly altered by lighting, angles, or expressions. Each time, fact-checkers have dispelled the myth; PolitiFact even addressed today's claim, flatly stating there's no evidence of a Melania body double. Yet this doesn't stop the internet from pulling every appearance apart, still looking for that elusive "imposter."

In the end, today's Melania may have been the real deal, but her grinning doppelganger, imagined by conspiracy enthusiasts, will no doubt live on.