Social media is once again abuzz with speculation surrounding Donald Trump’s recent public appearance after the former US president was seen outside the White House for the first time in several days.
At 79 years old, Trump is accustomed to dismissing odd rumors, such as the ‘body double’ theories about his wife Melania Trump earlier this year. However, the latest discussions on X (formerly Twitter) suggest that people are concerned about his health, with some even speculating he might not be alive.
Following his call for reporters to join him in the Oval Office on September 2, after being away from the public eye for days, paparazzi photos of Trump have fueled the notion that he might be considering stepping down from his role.
Reacting to a close-up image of his swollen face, one X user remarked: “Maybe it’s just me, but that doesn’t look like Trump at all.”
Another user claimed, “Lol that’s not Trump that’s his stunt double,” while a third expressed concern, saying, “Okay maybe he is dying.”
This isn’t the first time the ‘body double’ theory has gained traction. In June, a group photo of Trump at a NATO summit in the Netherlands raised questions online, as he appeared smaller than usual next to other leaders.
A comment read: “Obviously not the real one. Not tall enough. Loved the people noting he’s in multiple places at once.”
Two more users added, “That… that is not Trump,” and “When I saw a video from earlier today I was wondering why he was so much shorter.”
Despite the peculiarities of these claims, the reasons for Trump’s perceived height difference are likely mundane. He has been previously listed as 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 224 pounds during his annual physical exam.
In one photograph, Trump stands next to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who is reportedly 6ft 2 inches, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is just over 6 ft. Yet, Trump appears slightly shorter than Willem-Alexander and only marginally taller than Erdoğan, even though he should be taller than both.
One plausible explanation is that Trump’s height hasn’t changed, but standing next to other tall individuals may create an illusion of reduced height. Skeptics have also noted that footwear could influence slight variations in height or it could simply be a matter of posture.
Recently, Trump dispelled rumors of his death on Truth Social, posting a characteristically bold statement: “NEVER FELT BETTER IN MY LIFE. Also, DC IS A CRIME FREE ZONE! President DJT.”
This response came after a MAGA supporter commented: “Joe Biden would go multiple days at a time without any public appearances and the media would say he’s ‘sharp’ and ‘top of his game’. Meanwhile he was wearing diapers and napping. President Trump puts in more public work hours than any other POTUS in US history, and media freaks out if he disappears for 24 hours. Comical double standard.”
Vice-president JD Vance has also fueled speculation by telling USA Today that he would be prepared to step in if something serious happened to Trump.
“I’ve had a lot of on-the-job training in the last 200 days, but the president is in incredibly good health. He’s got incredible energy,” Vance stated.
“While most of the people who work around the president of the United States are younger than he is, I think that we find that he’s actually the last person to go to sleep, he’s the last person making phone calls at night, and he’s the first person who wakes up and is the first person making phone calls in the morning.”
A request for comment has been sent to the White House.