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A tale of two Hillaries: Internet conspiracy theorists in a spin over Clinton body-double claims

Conspiracy theorists have seized upon US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s 9/11 health scare to make claims she has a body double.

Theories have swirled for months around Clinton’s health, including everything from claims she has Parkinson’s disease to speculation her minders are regularly injecting her with a series of mystery drugs to prevent seizures.

But the claims leapt from the fringe to the mainstream at a September 11 memorial in New York City when news cameras caught pictures of an unsteady Clinton being ushered away from the event by her campaign team.

Hillary Clinton arrives at a September 11 anniversary memorial in New York on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
Hillary Clinton arrives at a September 11 anniversary memorial in New York on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
The theory says this is a different Hillary Clinton to the one pictured several hours beforehand. Photo: Reuters
The theory says this is a different Hillary Clinton to the one pictured several hours beforehand. Photo: Reuters

The official explanation was she ‘over-heated’. The Clinton camp later revealed the 68-year-old election-front runner had been diagnosed with pneumonia several days before.

Clinton herself told followers on Twitter she was “feeling and getting better”.

Hours later, a much more chipper Hillary Clinton emerged from her daughter Chelsea’s New York apartment. In doing so, she unleashed another peculiar conspiracy theory into the social media maelstrom.

Now the internet is abuzz with speculation Hillary Clinton has a body double.

Internet sleuths have been pouring over photos and videos of Clinton from September 11, and they are insisting a different woman emerged from the apartment after Clinton vanished into a car earlier in the day.


Some have pointed to differing jaw lines, apparent changes in Clinton’s skin, even the dimensions of her legs as proof that her campaign is toting around a doppelganger.

Much of the speculation has focused on a video which purports to show Clinton squeezing the finger of a minder.

According to the conspiracy theory, this is evidence of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diseases, and reveals to need for a presidential body-double.

It is not the first time Clinton’s campaign has been subject to bizarre health claims.

A photograph of her shows a staffer walking alongside of her with a small flashlight in his hands.

That flashlight was more likely a type of syringe, internet theorists surmised, designed to allow Clinton’s handlers to surreptitiously inject her with non-descript substances to mask her apparent health problems.

Claims a 'secret nurse' shadows one of the Hillarys with a syringe of secret medication have circulated for weeks. Photo: Supplied
Claims a 'secret nurse' shadows one of the Hillarys with a syringe of secret medication have circulated for weeks. Photo: Supplied

Photographs of staff helping Clinton climb a flight of stairs also sparked a round of claims from opponents that her health meant she was not fit to take the White House.

According to some pundits, that photo is proof that Clinton’s heart is too weak to run the US. It also saw claims she was wearing a defibrillator vest.

An image of Hillary Clinton slipping on stairs in February in North Charleston have fed claims her heart is too weak to be president. Photo: Getty Images
An image of Hillary Clinton slipping on stairs in February in North Charleston have fed claims her heart is too weak to be president. Photo: Getty Images
Other images of Hillary Clinton successfully navigating flights of stairs have, apparently, been deemed irrelevant by the internet detective force. Photo: Getty Images
Other images of Hillary Clinton successfully navigating flights of stairs have, apparently, been deemed irrelevant by the internet detective force. Photo: Getty Images

So far, however, Republican candidate Donald Trump has taken a gentle approach to Clinton’s 9/11 scare, despite having been accused of subtly fanning Hillary ‘health truther’ claims to date.

He said he wished his opponent the best and said he will soon release the results of his latest physical. The Clinton camp has also indicated it will release its candidate’s health records after a whirlwind of mainstream speculation in recent days.

"Something is going on but I just hope she gets well and gets back on the trail, and we'll be seeing her at the debate," Trump told Fox News.

MSNBC reports Clinton is due to return to campaigning on Friday after taking several days off to recuperate from the incident on Sunday.