Conspiracy Theorists Think A US Senator Is Using A Body Double, And Twitter Is Having A Field Day

BuzzFeed

20 September 2023 at 11:48 am·2-min read

This is US Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania. As you can see, he has quite an untraditional look for a senator — from his height, to the way he dresses, to his facial hair.

A Closeup of Sen. Fetterman onstage with a large U.S. flag behind him. Fetterman, who is quite tall, is wearing a hoodie and jeans — Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images

On August 19, Senator Fetterman shared a picture of his new facial hair after shaving his signature beard and growing a mustache. Although Fetterman's tweet and new look seems pretty innocuous, it caught the attention of right-wing conspiracy theorists who believe Senator John Fetterman is actually being replaced with a series of body doubles.

Lost a bet with Karl 🥸 pic.twitter.com/D9XKEYHivj
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 19, 2023

@JohnFetterman / Via Twitter: @JohnFetterman

This conspiracy theory — which is completely false — first emerged in early 2023, when Senator Fetterman received inpatient treatment for clinical depression. After just over six weeks, Fetterman was discharged from Walter Reed Hospital, and right-wing accounts began openly theorizing that the person claiming to be Senator Fetterman was someone else entirely.

"Man, he has some good doctors." — According to TIME, Fetterman "continued to decline" in the first few weeks of his hospitalization. "He stopped shaving and showering. His normally bare head grew fuzzy; his fingernails were like claws; he didn’t get out of his pajamas. Seeing his face in the mirror, he didn’t recognize himself."
@catturd2 / Truth Social / Via archive.ph

Nearly six months later, Senator Fetterman's new mustache has revived the right-wing body double conspiracy.

👻 oooOoooooOooo https://t.co/34cxg8TFUU
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) September 12, 2023

@lizbrownkaiser / Via Twitter: @SenFettermanPA

Twitter users are naturally having a field day making fun of the completely absurd "this is not John Fetterman" conspiracy. Here are 22 of the best jokes.

Two Spider-Men pointing at each other and saying "John Fetterman" — Marvel Comics Group / Grantray-Lawrence Animation

1.

20th Television / Via Twitter: @JohnFetterman

2.

Pedro Gomes/Redferns / Getty Images / @Eve6 / Via Twitter: @Eve6

3.

Niantic / @sarah_in_ny / Via Twitter: @sarah_in_ny

4.

Bettmann Archive / Getty Images, Corbis via Getty Images / @BadPostsLLC / Via Twitter: @BadPostsLLC

5.

@RadishHarmers / Via Twitter: @RadishHarmers

6.

Walt Disney / @RTodKelly / Via Twitter: @RTodKelly

7.

Warner Bros, Nathan Howard / Getty Images / @the_vello / Via Twitter: @the_vello

8.

@TotallyAllen / Via Twitter: @TotallyAllen

9.

Universal Pictures / @NikkiMcR / Via Twitter: @NikkiMcR

10.

@PrestonMeche / Via Twitter: @PrestonMeche

11.

@kimischilling / Via Twitter: @kimischilling

12.

The Muppets’ youtube.com / ABC / @boney_robin / Via Twitter: @boney_robin

13.

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / @Annie_Wu_22 / Via Twitter: @Annie_Wu_22

14.

15.

@Grosdoriane / Via Twitter: @Grosdoriane

16.

@addamschloe / Via Twitter: @addamschloe

17.

Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images, The Muppet Show / ABC / @dopaminenjoyer / Via Twitter: @dopaminenjoyer

18.

HBO / @Leah_Abrams / Via Twitter: @Leah_Abrams

19.

@drmistercody / Via Twitter: @drmistercody

20.

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images / @jayblackisfunny / Via Twitter: @jayblackisfunny

21.

@fishontherun2 / Via Twitter: @fishontherun2

22.And finally, Twitter user @Srirachachau asked an EXTREMELY valid question about our largest, most imposing US senator:

@Srirachachau / Via Twitter: @Srirachachau

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This is US Senator John Fetterman from Pennsylvania. As you can see, he has quite an untraditional look for a senator — from his height, to the way he dresses, to his facial hair.

Nearly six months later, Senator Fetterman's new mustache has revived the right-wing body double conspiracy.

Twitter users are naturally having a field day making fun of the completely absurd "this is not John Fetterman" conspiracy. Here are 22 of the best jokes.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.And finally, Twitter user @Srirachachau asked an EXTREMELY valid question about our largest, most imposing US senator:

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