Donald Trump’s recent visit to the Netherlands has sparked fresh conspiracy theories among observers. The notion that he might have a body double is among the more peculiar claims.
Conspiracy theories are not new territory for Trump, and this body double theory extends to his wife, Melania Trump, who has also been subjected to similar accusations regarding a stand-in for her First Lady duties.
The theories surrounding Trump gained traction after his attendance at a NATO summit in The Hague on June 24. This event gathered international leaders and was hailed as ‘historic’ by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The leaders posed for photos before a formal dinner.
An image from this event, which circulated on social media, shows Trump appearing smaller than expected next to other leaders.
On Twitter, some users have fueled the ‘body double’ conspiracy theories based on these images.
One individual remarked: “Obviously not the real one. Not tall enough. Loved the people noting he’s in multiple places at once.”
Another added: “That… that is not Trump.”
A third user commented: “When I saw a video from earlier today I was wondering why he was so much shorter.”
Despite the persistence of this theory, there are more plausible and mundane explanations for why Trump might appear shorter.
Earlier this year, Trump’s physical examination recorded him at 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighing 224 pounds.
In a photo, Trump, who is 6 feet 3 inches, stands next to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, reportedly 6 feet 2 inches, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is just over 6 feet tall.
Despite this, Trump appears slightly shorter than Willem-Alexander and only marginally taller than Erdoğan, which contradicts expectations based on their reported heights.
One possible reason is that Trump’s height remains unchanged, but standing beside other tall individuals can make him seem shorter than usual.
Skeptics also highlight that footwear might cause slight height variations among the leaders, including Trump and those in the photos.
Others point out that posture and the angle of the photographs can affect perceived height differences.
Additionally, individuals positioned further in the background appear shorter, while those in the foreground look taller, emphasizing the impact of perspective.