No, Melania Trump does not have a body double

No, Melania Trump doesn’t have a body double – despite what you may have seen on the internet.

The bizarre rumor grew out of a Twitter post from a California man, who, according to his bio, sells hemp syrup. The tweet implied the first lady standing beside President Donald Trump last week wasn’t actually the first lady, but an imposter. He compared an older image of the first lady to a tight shot of her – as though this provided evidence that there are two different Trumps.

The East Wing dismissed the obvious falsehood, chastising those pursuing it.

“Once again, we find ourselves consumed with a ridiculous non-story when we could be talking about the work the first lady is doing on behalf of children, including the opioid crisis that is gripping our nation,” East Wing communications director Stephanie Grisham told CNN.

US First Lady Melania Trump visits the Queen Fabiola children's hospital, on the sidelines of the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit, on May 25, 2017, in Brussels.

Melania Trump visits West Virginia opioid treatment center

Nonetheless, the social media engine roared, conspiracy theorists latched on, pointing to photographs of the first lady trailed by a Secret Service agent who has facial similarities, and the assumption grew that a body double exists.

That, however, is just a coincidence.

The US Secret Service did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment. But Jonathan Wackrow, a CNN contributor and former Secret Service agent who has previously served on the first family detail, said definitively: “The United States Secret Service doesn’t use body doubles.”

“Mrs. Trump’s lead agent is a woman … and she happens to look a little like her, but physically, she is much shorter,” he said.

Further throwing cold water on the conspiracy theory, Wackrow said Trump’s lead agent just happens to be a woman – it could have just as easily been a male agent assigned. The lead agent has been on Trump’s protection team since the President took office.

First lady Melania Trump accompanies her husband, US President Donald Trump, for a visit to the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday, June 6. It was the first time the first lady was seen in public since undergoing benign kidney surgery in May.

Melania Trump speaks to the spouses of US governors at a White House luncheon in February. Among the topics she touched on were cyberbullying and the opioid epidemic. She also acknowledged the students around the country who have been fighting the gun lobby since the tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

Trump arrives for her husband's State of the Union address in January.

Trump walks through Christmas decorations at the White House.

The Trumps hand out candy to children during a White House Halloween event.

Trump speaks at an October ceremony after donating her inaugural gown to the National Museum of American History. It will be part of the museum's First Ladies Collection.

Trump addresses other spouses of world leaders at a United Nations luncheon in September.

The Trumps arrive at Paris' Orly Airport in July. They were invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to attend the country's Bastille Day celebrations.

Trump, seated fourth from left, plays with children during a July visit to the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw, Poland. She was joined by Polish first lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who is in the pink jacket. The Trumps were visiting Poland ahead of a G20 summit in Germany.

The Trumps arrive at the White House with their son, Barron, in June 2017. Melania and Barron were moving in. They had spent the last few months in New York so Barron could finish out his school year.

Melania Trump arrives at the Vatican, where she and her husband met Pope Francis in May 2017. With Vatican protocol in mind, she wore a black veil and a long-sleeved black dress draped down to her calf.

The first lady visits a pediatric hospital in Vatican City.

Trump visits the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest prayer site, while in Jerusalem in May 2017.

A video clip went viral in May 2017 after the first lady appeared to swat her husband's hand away after landing in Israel. It's unclear what caused the swat, if anything. The Trumps held hands minutes later on the tarmac. They also held hands multiple times during their tour of the Middle East.

The first lady high-fives a child during a visit to the American International School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Trump talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Nayef during a ceremony in Riyadh in May 2017. See more photos from the President's first foreign trip

Melania Trump is joined by her husband as she speaks at a Mother's Day event at the White House.

The first lady takes part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Children's National Health System in Washington. She spoke at the opening of the Bunny Mellon Healing Garden, where patients and families can spend time outdoors while receiving treatment at the hospital.

Trump listens while her husband speaks to the press in the White House Oval Office.

The first lady hugs a child at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in April 2017. They were making cards for members of the US military.

Trump speaks in March 2017 at the Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards. She called for women's empowerment and the celebration of diversity.

The first lady's Twitter account posted this photo of Trump reading a book to children at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "Honoring children #worldbookday," the tweet said in March 2017.

Trump arrives at a joint session of Congress to hear a speech by her husband in February 2017.

The President kisses his wife as they are introduced at a rally in Melbourne, Florida, in February 2017.

The first lady walks with Sara Netanyahu at the White House in February 2017. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington to strengthen US-Israel relations after some strained years during the Obama administration.

Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, talks with Trump and Netanyahu as they tour the museum in Washington in February 2017.

Trump and Akie Abe, wife of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, tour the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, Florida, in February 2017. It was Trump's first solo public appearance as first lady.

The first lady shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before boarding Air Force One with her husband in February 2017. The Trumps hosted the Abes at their Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The Trumps arrive at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February 2017. The Trumps were attending a Super Bowl party at the club.

The Trumps arrive for a Red Cross gala at their Mar-a-Lago estate in February 2017.

The first lady walks across the tarmac to greet well-wishers in West Palm Beach in February 2017.

Trump gives a speech during one of the inaugural balls in Washington in January 2017.

The first lady dances with her husband at an inaugural ball.

The first lady leaves the President's Room of the Senate after her husband was sworn into office.

First lady Melania Trump

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“There are different dynamics in the both the optics and the response when it comes to comparing the President’s detail with the first lady’s,” he said.

The lead agent, according to Wackrow, spent time on a previous assignment with the Obama family, which made her a good fit for Melania Trump.

“Those are the sorts of details considered, not at all whether an agent is some sort of body double,” he said.

Those still curious can check out the real Melania Trump on Friday, when she is slated to attend a ceremony to donate her inaugural ball gown to the Smithsonian – it’s also not a knock-off.