A woman seen standing behind US President Donald Trump during an Oval Office event has responded to a bizarre social media joke claiming that she was using a hidden device to “zap” him whenever he appeared to doze off.
Jayme Leagh Franklin, a former White House official and founder of conservative media and lifestyle platform The Conservateur, went viral after videos from the event showed her repeatedly placing her hand on her stomach while Trump appeared to briefly close his eyes.
The moment sparked jokes and speculation online, with some users suggesting that Franklin was secretly pressing a button to keep the US President awake. Franklin has now offered a much simpler explanation: she is pregnant.
Franklin was standing behind Trump on Monday as he signed an executive order concerning childhood vaccine recommendations.
During remarks by National Institutes of Health Director Dr Jay Bhattacharya, Trump could be seen with his eyes closed at several points. Franklin, meanwhile, was standing behind him, nodding and repeatedly touching her stomach.
Social media users soon began linking the two actions. Videos and screenshots circulated online, with some joking that Franklin had a concealed button near her stomach that sent a signal or “zap” to Trump whenever he appeared to fall asleep.
The theory gained enough traction for some users to nickname Franklin “The Zapper”.
Responding to one of the viral posts on X, Franklin dismissed the speculation with a short explanation.
“I’m just pregnant you weirdos,” she wrote, accompanied by laughing emojis.
Her husband, Drake Franklin, also joined the conversation and joked about another theory circulating about his wife.
The responses turned what had begun as speculation about Trump’s apparent drowsiness into a viral joke about Franklin and her presence behind the President.
Franklin is no stranger to Republican politics or the Trump White House. She worked as a coalitions coordinator for Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign before serving as director of correspondence during his first administration, according to The Independent.
In 2019, Franklin founded The Conservateur, a conservative media and lifestyle platform aimed primarily at young Christian women.
Her appearance at Monday’s event prompted questions online about why she was among those standing behind Trump during the executive order signing.
Franklin told The Independent that she was “honored” to join Trump for the event, which she described as focused on giving parents greater freedom to consult their paediatricians and make decisions concerning their children.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai told The Independent that Franklin was there representing parents whose concerns about the US childhood vaccination schedule had been “ignored or mocked”.
The viral clip comes amid recurring online discussion over Trump’s apparent drowsiness during public appearances.
In July, Trump was photographed with his eyes closed during the funeral of late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The White House dismissed claims that he had fallen asleep, saying he was “reflecting on the loss of his dear friend”, according to People magazine.
Trump has previously dismissed photographs that appeared to show him sleeping, arguing that the images may simply have captured him while blinking.
This time, however, the viral speculation centred on the woman standing behind him. As theories about a concealed button or “zapper” gained traction online, Franklin offered a far simpler explanation for repeatedly touching her stomach: she is pregnant.
(This article was curated by Aditi Anand, who is an intern with The Indian Express)
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