Conspiracy Theorists Think Donald Trump Used a Body Double During SpaceX Launch

Conspiracy theorists spent just about every minute of Joe Biden’s presidency insisting he was either a clone or a body double during public appearances. And it looks like that absurd idea is not going to go away for Donald Trump’s second crack at being president. Because some truly stupid people are claiming on X that Trump didn’t go see Tuesday’s SpaceX launch with Elon Musk in Texas. They think Trump was actually replaced by a body double.

“#BREAKING: People are saying a Trump body double was just seen with Elon Musk at the SpaceX Starship launch. Does this look like a clone to you?” an account known as HustleBitch wrote Tuesday.

HustleBitch’s tweet has been viewed over 3.7 million times, with accounts debating the merits of the claim.

🚨#BREAKING: People are saying a Trump body double was just seen with Elon Musk at the SpaceX Starship launch.

Does this look like a clone to you? pic.twitter.com/CoUdpEU8df

— HustleBitch (@HustleBitch_) November 19, 2024

“Is neck and face much thinner to. Coloring as well,” one “verified” account wrote in broken English. X no longer verifies the identity of accounts since Musk bought the platform, instead allowing anyone to spend $8 per month to get a blue checkmark. And while “thinner” is debatable, Trump’s color was certainly darker than his average day. But that’s not evidence of a body double. Trump rather infamously applies some kind of make-up to make his skin darker, often becoming an orange-ish color.

Ed Krassenstein, a liberal influencer on X who was previously banned but reinstated by Musk, questioned whether it was actually Trump, asking the SpaceX founder to weigh in. Musk did not comment on Krassenstein’s tweet, despite often engaging with the man.

Is this a Trump body double? @elonmusk can you confirm that this was really Trump? pic.twitter.com/OWcaZhlnJF

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) November 19, 2024

“Some angles look like a double but then some don’t …Idk… what do you think?” an account called World Watch wrote.

(3 Videos) Trump in Texas with Elon to watch Rocket Launch but folks are claiming this isn't Trump its a body double…. Some angles look like a double but then some don't …Idk… what do you think? (3 Videos Compiled) pic.twitter.com/sZEjHXNCGO

— The World Watch (@WorldWatchGoat) November 20, 2024

To be clear, there’s no evidence Trump used a body double for the launch on Tuesday. That’s just what his face looks like. But the fact that these ideas are getting attention on social media indicates people are ready to believe almost anything is fake in some way.

Adherents to the QAnon conspiracy theory believe everyone from Hillary Clinton to Joe Biden has been replaced with either clones or body doubles. They will often add the detail that the “real” politician has been shipped off to Guantanamo Bay for some shady crime. But it’s rare for people online to insist right-wing politicians are being replaced by fakes. At least that used to be the case.

The one big exception during the first Trump administration was conspiracy theories that First Lady Melania Trump was using a body double during some public appearances.

The conspiracy theory about a fake Melania was admittedly funny, given the way in which the First Lady clearly despised her husband, repeatedly batting away Donald’s hand when he’d go to reach for hers. But there was also no solid evidence that the former and future First Lady was ever replaced by a body double.

Why are people so obsessed with the idea that body doubles might be replacing famous people? That part isn’t clear. Perhaps it has something to do with how tuned in we all are to celebrity culture. The smallest change is noticed and can be dissected from countless angles thanks to the wonders of computers and social media. But that obsession leads to some very dark places sometimes.

For example, earlier this year, the internet was fixated on the idea that British royal, Catherine the Princess of Wales, was actually using a body double. Images of Kate in public were picked apart and discussed on seemingly every corner of the internet for well over a week. People noted that she hadn’t been seen in public for an extended period, and the theories ranged from the idea that she’d died and been replaced by a body double to the claim she had gotten a butt lift. It turned out that a couple of months earlier she’d been diagnosed with cancer and had undergone surgery.

The second Trump term is going to be filled with so much cruelty and pain, as the incoming president has promised to deport millions of people and roll back much of the social progress made in the past two decades. But as awful as that will be, everyone needs to remain clear-eyed about the real fascist threat. When people start spreading ridiculous theories about Trump being replaced, that’s little more than a distraction from the challenges this country faces. Trumpism is going to do quite a number on vulnerable people in the U.S. And that’s not some shadowy conspiracy theory. It’s a campaign promise.