Trump's tweet about the "False Melania" conspiracy theory, explained



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On Wednesday morning, President Trump – a man who gained a political stance during the Obama years defending a conspiracy theory that the first black president of the United States was a secret Muslim of African descent – denounced a theory conspiracy about his own wife.

"The fictitious photos of Melania in The Fake News then propelled conspiracy theories that she is not at her side in Alabama and elsewhere," Trump told Twitter. "They are more and more disturbed with time!"

The conspiracy theory evoked by Trump – we'll call it "false Melania" – says that during some public appearances, Melania Trump was dubbed. Despite what Trump tweeted, it is not based on photoshopped images, but rather on real images of Melania compared to the old ones.

"Fake Melania" aired for the first time on social media in the fall of 2017, when a Twitter user posted photos and video clips side by side in order to assert that the woman who had appeared alongside Trump at a public event was actually not Melania. . This was fueled by the White House's lack of transparency about what the first lady is doing, for example when she disappeared from the public eye for nearly three weeks last year because of questions about her health and her relationship with her husband.

The conspiracy theory gained momentum again after Trump's visit to Alabama last Friday – a project in which a number of social media users have assumed that the woman traveling with the president would Was not in fact his wife.

To be clear, this conspiracy theory is no more grounded than that according to which Barack Obama's birth certificate was a forgery. But Monday, View covered during a segment of tongue in the cheek.

"I am not convinced – how much effort will it take for the person to know exactly how to be here," said co-host Abby Huntsman (Huntsman is the daughter of Jon Huntsman, Trump's ambassador to Russia). "If it's not her, why not stay at home?"

Later on Monday, Melania spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham tweeted the critics of ViewThe cover.

Two days later, Fox and friends An article that apparently drew Trump's attention to conspiracy theory was one of many tweets he posted about his favorite TV show during Wednesday's movie-making session. .

Trump's tweet highlights Fox News pipeline at the White House

Trump first tweeted about "a fake Melania" about an hour later Fox and friends did a segment on the subject that was focused on criticism View.

Trump's tweet encapsulates the Fox News pipeline to the White House, as it did during a morning that the president seemed to give up by tweeting a live Fox and friends episode that he watched late.

In addition to the tweet "fake Melania", Trump also tweeted about the segments of the series Jay Leno criticizes liberal actorsCalifornia, the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has decided to moratorium on the death penalty in the state, the publication of a transcript of Testimony at the Congress of the ex-FBI agent, Lisa Pageand comments from former Republican Representative Jason Chaffetz on the show criticize former director of the FBI, James Comey.

Indeed, live-tweeting Fox and friends has become a hobby for the president.

Wednesday, Trump released his first Fox and friends-inspired tweet at 7:15 and his last at 10:14. Trump had nothing planned on his public schedule Wednesday until 11:30 am, at which time he was to receive an "intelligence briefing".

Despite what Trump says, the "false melanie" is not based on photoshopping images

Beyond the hypocrisy of a man who over the years has adopted countless conspiracy theories denouncing these theories, Trump's tweet about "false Melanie" represented an unfair attack on the media.

Despite what Trump would have you believe, no major media has used Melania images jumped on photos to advance conspiracy theories about it. In fact, beyond View, the theory has not been widely covered, except for some outlets gathering information on social networks from users mostly random.

It's unclear where Trump got the idea that "the false Melania" is based on photoshopping pictures. This idea was not mentioned during Fox and friends& # 39; Discussion, or on View. Maybe Trump saw the images of Melania posted during Fox & Friends' discussion and I told myself they had to be photographed.

Anyway, Trump, still thirsty to attack the press, developed a conspiracy theory that came from Twitter's dark corners and used it to attack the "Fake News" with a conspiracy theory about a conspiracy theory.

Melania Trump herself propagated conspiracy theories

Although two wrongs are not right, it should be noted that Melania herself has engaged in conspiracy theories.

At a court appearance in April 2011 on The Joy Behar show – Ironically, Behar is now co-host of View – Melania echoed her husband wondering if Obama's birth certificate was legitimate.

"It's not just Donald who wants to see [Obama’s birth certificate]it was the American people who voted for him and did not vote for him. They want to see that, "she said, prompting Behar to say that Obama had actually produced his birth certificate. But Melania said it was not enough for him.

"We think it's different from the birth certificate," Melania said.

Eight years and an improbable presidential race later, the Trumps are now at the center of the conspiracy theories. The more it changes, the more it is the same thing.


The news goes fast. To stay up to date, follow Aaron Rupar on Twitter, and read more Political and political coverage of Vox.

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