No, a Melania Trump impostor didn’t accompany Donald Trump to the polls; it was his wife

Former President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump cast their ballots Nov. 5 at a polling station in a Palm Beach, Florida, recreation center. 

Social media posts soon invigorated an old conspiracy theory that Trump was accompanied not by his wife, but by a body double for the former first lady. 

Umm, that is NOT Melania,” an X post said. “Sorry. I’m not buying it. Whoever was at the polls today with Don, WASN’T MELANIA.”

“Dude showed up with FakeMelania bless his heart,” a Threads post said. 

“He used fake Melania,” another Threads post said. 

These Threads posts were flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

Melania Trump wore dark sunglasses as Donald Trump spoke to reporters after voting for himself in the 2024 presidential election, and some news coverage noted her affectless demeanor. 

“Today appears to be one of mourning, apathy, or perhaps a head-splitting hangover,” The Cut said about the former first lady. 

But claims Melania Trump wasn’t there are baseless. 

Numerous journalists captured the moment. Photo and video captions identify her as Melania Trump.

The Palm Beach Post described the trip to the ballot box as a “rare public appearance” as she “voted alongside her husband.”

We rate claims that Trump voted with a “Fake Melania” False.