A Single Incident That Led to a Thousand Theories

The plan was for it to be just another prominent meeting of world leaders. As the NATO summit took place in late June, flashbulbs popped, dignitaries posed, and polished speeches reverberated throughout The Hague’s hallways. Despite the pageantry and protocol, one image in particular—one that was more about perception than policy and had height over headlines—started an unanticipated social media fire.

President Donald Trump stood shoulder to shoulder with prime ministers, chancellors, and kings on Tuesday night beneath the chandeliers of the Dutch royal palace. An elegant, calm, and seemingly unremarkable photo from this event became the focal point of an online tidal wave. However, not due to a mispronounced word or a handshake. Rather, focus was drawn to a supposedly visual contradiction that some said suggested a much more dramatic possibility: was the man in the photo actually Donald Trump?

Rumors That Don’t Go Away

Examining the origins of such theories aids in understanding the motivation behind this moment. Rumors of conspiracy, particularly involving public officials, are not new. The Trump family has also always been the subject of such stories. For example, some online users have long accused former First Lady Melania Trump of using a body double for some public appearances. This accusation is supported by minor variations in her facial features, lighting, and even the way her sunglasses are positioned.

Therefore, theorists were quick to jump on the bandwagon when an image surfaced that purportedly showed Trump looking shorter than his peers, despite his stated height of 6 feet 3 inches. Almost immediately, the “mini-Trump” narrative took off, with memes and hashtags going viral and implying that the president might have sent a stand-in to the summit.

The Image That Started the Argument

Trump is seen posing with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Dutch King Willem-Alexander in the widely shared image. In contrast to the anticipated height difference, observers observed that Trump looked about eye-level with Erdoğan and significantly shorter than the Dutch monarch. A portion of the internet was convinced that something was wrong because of this visual disparity, which was insignificant to the majority of viewers.

“That… that is not Trump,” one user wrote, while another joked that Trump ought to think about playing the lead in “The Parent Trap: Oval Office Edition.” A third shared a side-by-side comparison of earlier photos, emphasizing variations in Trump’s ear shape, posture, and proportions.

Elevation, Angles, and Deceptions

However, both skeptics and experts were quick to dismiss the apparent discrepancies. King Willem-Alexander, who is approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall, was wearing formal shoes with high heels, according to some users. The way figures appear in relation to one another in photographs can be significantly impacted by lighting, lens distortion, and camera angles. Another possible factor contributing to the illusion is the fact that Trump’s typical footwear has been known to alternate between custom-made lifts and regular dress shoes.Read More Below