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Home / World

Hillary Clinton body double theory goes viral after collapse

news.com.au
13 Sep, 2016 09:43 AM4 mins to read

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Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leaves an apartment building Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in New York. Clinton's campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee left the 9/11 anniversar

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton leaves an apartment building Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in New York. Clinton's campaign said the Democratic presidential nominee left the 9/11 anniversar

Hillary Clinton's collapse at a 9/11 ceremony in New York made global headlines and fuelled rumours about her health.

But more bizarrely, it also fuelled a conspiracy theory or two with one claiming the Democratic Presidential candidate is using a body double.

Footage of her collapse shows the 68-year-old being held up by aides and secret service agents before losing her footing and getting into a waiting car.

She was later taken to her daughter Chelsea's apartment to recover with her team confirming the presidential hopeful was suffering from pneumonia.

Soon after, Clinton was seen pictured and waving to reporters as she left, insisting she felt great.

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It also emerged that Clinton's team deliberately avoided the emergency room in a bid to conceal details of her medical treatment.

According to the New York Post, Clinton was heading to hospital following the collapse but detoured to her daughter's house instead.

The most was designed so Clinton wouldn't be seen by medical workers who could leak details to reporters a source told The Post.

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Some speculated Clinton was looking too good despite being so well.

Other commented that she was pictured without Secret Service agents and even appeared thinner in some shots.

However, one Twitter user highlighted the Secret Service agents were there, just cropped out of the frame.

There are pictures with secret service but you photo shopped them out

— HumanNature (@S3CURITYBR3ACH) September 12, 2016

#ClintonBodyDouble is Teresa Barnwell and gets paid over $10,000 per month for the gig. #HillarysHealth pic.twitter.com/snKUWo4OwP

— Pastor Bones (@pastorbones) September 12, 2016

The #ClintonBodyDouble, the staged child, the lame/changing health excuses. What is going on!?!? https://t.co/SFswFqTxMN

— Laura W. Kline (@LauraWKline) September 12, 2016

There was even speculation the body double could have been Clinton impersonator Teresa Barnwell.

Discover more

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NZH Focus: Trump launches attack on Clinton

12 Sep 07:36 PM
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Trump calls on Clinton to retract 'deplorables' claim

12 Sep 08:30 PM
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Clinton campaign to release more medical info

12 Sep 08:41 PM
New Zealand|politics

PM: Fainting 'rough and tumble of job'

12 Sep 10:58 PM

Either way, it didn't take long for the conspiracy theorists to speculate that Clinton's quick recovery was all down to a body double.

Twitter was quick to react and the #ClintonsBodyDouble soon began trending.

It seems the body double speculation wasn't the only conspiracy theory to emerge out of the event.

Many eagle-eyed people noticed something drop near, or from, Clinton's trouser leg in video footage before she was helped into the waiting car.

Metal or glass object falls from Clinton's right hand as she loses grip on bollard and stumbles prior to collapsing https://t.co/SoWOgiBMOt

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 11, 2016

Some users questioned if it was health related while others joked she could be a robot.

Another user pointed out the object which dropped was actually part of her glasses.

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Hey @RealClearNews the "mysterious piece of metal" that fell from Mrs #Clinton was an arm of her glasses, per law enf source at scene

— RickLeventhalFoxNews (@RickLeventhal) September 12, 2016

https://t.co/pdkKpVO5zl HILARY CLINTON IS A CYBORG I KNEW IT ALL ALONG

— Miles (@hondacarterr) September 12, 2016

It wouldn't be the first time Clinton has been at the centre of a conspiracy theory or two.

In August a photo of a Secret Service agent standing beside Hillary Clinton holding an unidentifiable cylindrical object sent the internet into a spin.

Some social media users speculated the agent was holding an autoinjector containing Diazepam, a muscle-relaxant drug used to treat seizures and anxiety.

However that theory was quickly debunked after Secret Service spokeswoman Nicole Mainor confirmed that the object was actually a flashlight.

More recently, Trump fans leapt on the conspiracy theory that Clinton was wearing an earpiece during a televised showdown between the candidates.

Trump and Clinton appeared at the "Commander-in-Chief Forum" on NBC last week.

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However Trump fans were apparently more interested in pointing at Clinton's left ear, with Donald Jr himself even sharing a story implying Clinton was fed answers through an earpiece.

A Clinton spokesman later said the alleged earpiece was actually a reflection of the TV lights or a flash.

Was Hillary Wearing an Earpiece During Last Night’s Presidential Forum? https://t.co/wAvCFY5ANP via @realalexjones

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 8, 2016
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