‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ Mocks Melania Trump Body Double Conspiracy Theory

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert addressed the rumors that First Lady Melania Trump uses a body double on Friday night’s episode with a little help from Laura Benanti and Christine Baranksi.

The conspiracy theory about the first lady has been on the rise, as social media users pick apart pictures from public appearances where they think a look-alike might have taken her place. President Trump even addressed these unsubstantiated stories on Twitter, drawing even more attention to them and prompting Colbert to take a shot.

On Friday night’s episode, Colbert summarized the story in a desk piece. After emphasizing that the idea is “nothing more than a wild conspiracy theory,” he revealed that “the Late Show has a source that could put an end to it once and for all.”

“Please welcome, live from the White House, the actual first lady, Melania Trump,” Colbert said. The screen then split revealing Benanti in a White House-like set, doing her impression of the first lady. Benanti is a frequent guest on the show, and her impression is a familiar sight to fans. This week, it was dialed all the way up, and there were twists along the way.

“It makes no sense. How can there be two Melania Trumps? Think about it! Doesn’t it seem crazy that there is even one?” she joked in a feigned accent.

“Besides it takes some Tony Award-winning actor to pull off this role,” Benanti joked later, holding up the Tony that she won in real life for playing Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady on Broadway.

The plot thickened when Colbert’s questions got too real for the first lady, and she wanted to duck out. Fortunately, she had a helper on hand. Benanti ducked out of frame for a second, and Baranski took her place. She wore the same outfit and modeled her impression closely after Benanti’s.

“It would take some kind of two- time Tony Award-winning actor to pull that off,” Baranski said, holding up her two Tony Awards.

The final punch line featured Baranski tiring of the impression, dropping her accent and saying “oh, I can’t do this.” She walked off camera, and was soon replaced by comedian Brian Stack in the exact same costume.

“I love Donald Trump just as sure as I’m Donald Trump,” he said.

The Late Show continues its scathing nightly review of Trump’s presidency, and it seems to be getting to him. This week, the president tweeted about “the three very weak and untalented late night ‘hosts,’” presumably referring to Colbert and his peers.

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs on weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on CBS.