Featured Image Credit: Haiyun Jiang-Pool/Getty Images
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media, World News
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Donald Trump, Politics, US News, Social Media, World News
The whole Donald Trump 'body double' conspiracy theory doesn't seem to be dying down anytime soon, as people are now convinced they've spotted yet another 'detail' in the NATO summit photo.
On Tuesday (24 June), world leaders from 32 countries - including the US President, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - gathered in The Hague in the Netherlands for the NATO summit.
While Queen Máxima of the Netherlands clearly stood out due to her lime-green jumpsuit ensemble, it's clear that she wasn't the only person in the group snap to catch the attention of people online.
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Now, for context, some internet sleuths were totally convinced that Trump looked shorter than usual, sparking the theory that a body double, or a 'mini Trump' had been sent in his place.
Yes, you read that right.
And the theory is clearly still raging on after social media users pointed out the closeness in Trump's height with Queen Máxima - who is reportedly 5'8".
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Likewise, Trump appears to be shorter than King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands who is reportedly 6'2".
Bare in mind that, according to the White House, the 79-year-old Republican is 6'3" and 224 pounds - at least, that's what his official medical exam states.
"Tiny hands Trump said he was 6'3"," penned one X user.
Another chimed in: "Is the Queen taller? I believe she is."
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"Trump looks to be the same size as the Queen of the Netherlands," echoed a third.
Now, while it's very possible that the pair look to be around the same height due to Queen Máxima wearing high heels at the summit, it's clear it's not stopped the online conspiracists from doing their thing.
Such individuals may be shocked to find out that a security expert has shut down the Trump 'body double' conspiracy theory.
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Will Geddes, who over 30 years experience in the Specialist Security sector, explained that the only time that decoys and body doubles would be used is for 'journey management', which simply means when a high profile figure is moving from one location to another.
Will clarified: "The reason why you would utilise a decoy is if you feel that security could be possibly compromised.
"So, if you're moving through a high risk environment or you’re at a particularly high level of threat and you want to make sure that you are confusing the potential enemy.”
However, Will revealed that when attending something as high profile as the NATO summit, where Trump would be interacting with other leaders, a body double would 'never ever be used'.
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The expert explained: "So for Donald Trump, at something like the NATO summit, he would never ever utilise a body double.
"All of the people that he meets with, or at any event where there’s going to be people that know him, they would spot it in a second.
"As much as we love films like Face Off and Mission Impossible, it’s impossible to pull that off."
He added that if Trump were to try such a move at something like a NATO meeting, his 'credibility would be shocked to hell if it was discovered a decoy had turned up in his place',
Albeit not as exciting as a body double, the security expert explained that the most likely scenario for the Republican leader’s shorter appearance is simply the angle of the camera.
Will said: "You know, he is tall, but it all comes down to the framing of the picture and how the footage has been taken.
"So it could have been taken from a higher aspect by either someone in a location which is above, or maybe they're particularly tall themselves, or they're holding the camera above their hair to get over a crowd to look at a particular principle - and that can give you an inaccurate representation of height."
Well, that settles that then.