No, Melania Trump didn't use a body double during the US election

Videos have gone viral on social media supposedly showing Melania Trump's body double appearing alongside her husband, Donald, after they voted in the US presidential election.

Rumours of a "fake Melania" are nothing new, but they resurfaced after Trumps cast their votes in Palm Beach in Florida on 5 November.

Various posts on X claimed that the woman standing next to Trump was a body double, with many putting the video beside a photo of what they said was the "real Melania".

But there's no evidence whatsoever that the woman beside Trump wasn't the real deal.

The couple spoke to the media after voting, and no reputable news outlet has suggested that anything was amiss. Instead, the media and paparazzi alike have explicitly identified the woman as Melania Trump.

Footage from AP, for example, clearly shows the Trumps leaving the polling station, with Donald answering questions from the media. 

Again, the woman next to him is identified as Melania by AP. While she didn't speak to the press, she did eventually remove her sunglasses, and with them any doubt about her identity.

Other news outlets that identified Melania at the scene include The New York Times and Getty Images.

Melania also posted a photo of her and Donald's son Barron Trump casting his vote for the first time as an 18-year-old. While Melania isn't in the picture, it's evidence that she was actually at the polling station.

There's another reason why the "fake Melania" claims are implausible: in-person voters in Florida need to bring ID or sign an identity affidavit to cast their vote. Failing that, they vote on a provisional ballot instead, and any woman posing as Melania would not have been able to do so.

With Donald Trump's second presidency now confirmed, it's likely that he and his family will be both the subject and the source of more misinformation.

Questions surrounding Melania's whereabouts hounded Trump's presidential campaign, due to her prolonged absence at certain points.

Some even created "missing" posters and flew a "Where's Melania?" banner from a plane.

She was clearly visible at other times though, including at the Republican National Convention in July.

Following her husband's reelection, Melania took to X to urge Americans to come together.

"The majority of Americans have entrusted us with this important responsibility," she said. "We will safeguard the heart of our republic – freedom."

"I anticipate the citizens of our nation rejoining in commitment to each other and rising above ideology for the sake of individual liberty, economic prosperity, and security. American energy, skill, and initiative will bring together our best minds to propel our nation forward forevermore."