Donald Trump is having a rough Wednesday.
This morning Trump accused news outlets, without any evidence whatsoever, of doctoring photographs to fuel an unfounded conspiracy theory that first lady Melania Trump employs a body double to appear with the president at public events.
This is NOT normal, and if anything this tweet will make people talk about the “controversy” more.
“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!” he tweeted.
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 13, 2019 [1]
The conspiracy theory bubbled up again after people online suggested a body double stood in for the first lady last week when Trump toured tornado damage in Alabama. ABC’s “The View” discussed the theory this week on air.
“You mean there are two women who have to pretend they are listening to him?” co-host Joy Behar joked.
Stephanie Grisham, a spokesman for Melania Trump, called the ABC talk show hosts “shameful” for bringing up the topic.
“@flotus & @potus traveled to Alabama to pay their respects & comfort victims of the tornado devastation. In typical fashion, @theview chooses to laugh in the face of tragedy. Shameful,” she tweeted on Monday.
.@flotus [2] & @potus [3] traveled to Alabama to pay their respects & comfort victims of the tornado devastation. In typical fashion, @theview [4] chooses to laugh in the face of tragedy. Shameful. https://t.co/KzG2c4Th4a [5]
— Stephanie Grisham (@StephGrisham45) March 11, 2019 [6]
Twitter had some thoughts:
I think it's nice that the president is sticking up for the green-card Slovenian trophy wife who married him for his money, recoils at his touch, never smiles in his presence, refuses to share his bedroom and sits in her room, counting every second until he kicks the bucket
— Jeff Tiedrich (@itsJeffTiedrich) March 13, 2019 [7]
Fanning the flames of a conspriacy theory during executive time this morning https://t.co/zIvyABxxVs [8]
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) March 13, 2019 [9]
Honestly, I was ignoring the whole Melania Doppelganger thing as idiotic.
Now? I'm convinced it's real. https://t.co/nKnDe88bPS [10]
— Stonekettle (@Stonekettle) March 13, 2019 [11]
the president does not like the peddling of conspiracy theories, you see https://t.co/k42SLSmNaB [12]
— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) March 13, 2019 [13]
I'm not sure what this tweet is referring to, but any photojournalist that doctored a photo would be fired immediately (and would never work in journalism again). https://t.co/wsvUjHQd1J [14]
— Evan Vucci (@evanvucci) March 13, 2019 [15]
Dude looks like the First Lady pic.twitter.com/NBLwurDpJy [16]
— Miss Texas 1967 (@MsTexas1967) March 13, 2019 [17]