In each edition of web_crawlr we have exclusive original content every day. On Mondays our Tech Reporter Mikael Thalen debunks the most wild conspiracy theories swirling around the web in his “One Dumb Conspiracy” column. If you want to read columns like this before everyone else, subscribe to web_crawlr to get your daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
Conspiracy theorists are scraping the bottom of the barrel by suggesting that something is amiss with President Joe Biden after a video appeared to show him looking much taller than normal.
In a video posted to X on Thursday, Biden is seen walking in front of his wife Jill before addressing the media and others on the White House South Lawn. The seemingly innocuous video was met with praise from Biden’s supporters online and was filmed after a live address to the nation where he discussed his decision not to run in the 2024 election.
But conspiracy theorists, of course, saw something entirely different.
Popular QAnon promoters suggested that Biden looked strangely tall. In other words, maybe it wasn’t actually the real Biden.
“Biden grew a few inches while he was missing for five days…” one user said of the video.
Biden has been the subject of an avalanche of conspiracy theories since admitting to catching COVID earlier this month. Right-wing accounts suggested that since Biden was laying low while he recovered, he must have been on death’s door.
Far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer spread the claim that Biden was in hospice and that final preparations were being made for his inevitable passing. Biden came out not long after to announce his plans not to run for another term in a letter posted to X, which, unsurprisingly, was branded a fake by conspiracy theorists.
Bizarre height claims spark Biden body double conspiracy
Despite supposedly being a near corpse, Biden has appeared on camera multiple times in recent days. But instead of admitting that their outlandish claims were nonsense, conspiracy theorists, as if often the case, are now inventing new suspicions.
Shadow of Ezra, another prominent QAnon promoter on X, also helped spread the absurd claim.
“After Joe Biden surrendered last night during his ‘live’ speech, he was greeted by some people outside the White House, where he appeared much taller than usual,” he wrote. “Pay attention to the difference in his weight when he walked side by side with Jill Biden compared to other pictures of him standing next to her.”
Others joked that the perceived growth may have been caused by COVID.
“Biden came back to office a whole foot taller in a week. These COVID side-effects are wild,” another added.
Others flat-out said that they believed the man in the video wasn’t actually Biden.
“Why does Biden look so much taller and walk so much more smoothly after his address tonight?” one user asked. “Something is amiss. All is not as it seems. I’m still not convinced this is him.”
Why it matters
Conspiracy theories claiming that Biden was replaced with a body double are not new and have been prevalent among QAnon supporters for years. The fact that such talking points are now common among many on the right shows just how pervasive the issue has become.
In reality, it’s quite clear from the video that nothing is out of the ordinary.
For starters, the video is filmed from a low angle. Secondly, Biden’s wife is walking behind him, both of which can alter how tall the president looks compared to Jill.
The notion that the government is capable of creating multiple clones of Biden but can’t control how tall they are is even more absurd.
But that’s why we call it One Dumb Conspiracy.
Internet culture is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here. You’ll get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
