Trump sparks body double conspiracy theories after 'shorter' NATO appearance: 'Dangerous time for him'

WASHINGTON, DC: Donald Trump’s big appearance at The Hague on Tuesday, June 24, was supposed to be all about diplomacy at a time of war, but it quickly spiraled into something far stranger.

Social media is ablaze with claims that the US president sent a body double to represent him at the high-profile summit in the Netherlands - all because he looked shorter than usual.

The meeting was labeled “historic” by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, as Trump posed with world leaders before heading into a formal dinner. But the moment someone dropped a photo of Trump looking oddly small next to the others, the conspiracy theories started swirling online.

Many on social media aren't buying that it was Trump at The Hague

Social media users were quick to call out the alleged height discrepancy. One user declared, “Obviously not the real one. Not tall enough. Loved the people noting he’s in multiple places at once.”

Another post that went viral showed Trump shaking hands with top leaders. “That’s not the real Prez Trump..,” declared one critic. “When I saw this, my reaction was ‘that’s not Trump,’” chimed in another.

Someone else wondered, “When I saw a video from earlier today, I was wondering why he was so much shorter.”

Some supporters of the president jumped in to defend the idea. With global tensions, especially between Israel and Iran, some argued that sending a lookalike might not be such a crazy move after all.

“Dangerous time for him, glad if he did send a double,” one pointed out.

Another agreed, “Totally understandable. I would also send my clone to meet with [Emmanuel] Macron, [Volodymyr] Zelensky and co.”

But not everyone was convinced. Some tried to pour a little cold water on the frenzy, suggesting maybe Trump just happened to be standing next to very tall people — like the King of the Netherlands, who stands at a towering 6'5".

“I think he just looks short here because the King of the Netherlands is 6’5. Let’s not get carried away,” a comment read.

Others pointed out more common reasons, such as camera angles, posture, and footwear.

Melania Trump has also faced claims of using body double

This isn’t the first time the Trump family has been accused of using stand-ins. First lady Melania Trump has been the subject of body double rumors going back to 2017.

Most recently, the speculation was back during her appearance at a Florida polling station in November 2024.

Body language expert Judi James told reporters she noticed something was off. “Her smile seems almost compensatory here, as Trump's facial expression is rather solemn, and he graciously and gallantly motions for her to walk in first,” Judi said at the time, adding that Melania looked “very subdued.”

In April, when the Trumps attended Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome, the body double rumors were back again.

One X user posted, “Holy smokes!! Where is Melania?? No one’s fooled by the body double beside Trump. This one is finally revealed as the fake Melania. Look at those un-sunglassed eyes: overly made up, not Melania’s eyes or cheekbones.”

Fast forward to June, online sleuths pointed fingers at Melania’s appearance during the 250th military anniversary parade in Washington, DC.

“Melania Trump body double at military parade?” one skeptical user asked, sharing a snapshot of the first couple.

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