A woman who appeared behind President Donald Trump during a White House event on August 10 has finally responded after social media turned her into the center of one of the internet’s strangest conspiracy theories.
Identified as Jayme Leagh Franklin, a former Trump White House official, went viral after viewers noticed her repeatedly placing her hand on her stomach while standing behind the president.
Highlights
- A woman behind Donald Trump during a White House event went viral after viewers created a bizarre conspiracy theory about her hand gesture.
- Jayme Leagh Franklin shut down the speculation.
- The former Trump White House official later shared she attended the event to advocate for greater parental choice in healthcare decisions.
Some users even claimed she was secretly pressing a hidden button to wake Trump whenever he appeared to close his eyes.
The viral moment started with one small movement behind President Donald Trump
The moment happened during an Oval Office event where Trump signed an executive order related to childhood vaccine recommendations, as reported by Bored Panda.
As the camera focused on Trump, viewers noticed Franklin standing directly behind him alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
At one point, Trump appeared to close his eyes while another speaker addressed the room briefly.
Almost at the same time, Franklin rested her hand against her stomach.
That was enough for social media to take the clip in a completely different direction.
Within hours, users replayed the video frame by frame, claiming Franklin had somehow “activated” Trump by pressing a hidden device.
One X user even nicknamed her “The Zapper,” joking that she was secretly waking the president every time he appeared to nod off.
While others called her an “AI robot” and a “cyborg.”
As the post quickly gained traction, Franklin clapped back with only five words and ended the rumors
It didn’t take long for Franklin to notice what people were saying.
Instead of ignoring the speculation, she decided to respond herself.
Quoting one of the viral posts, she wrote, "I'm just pregnant, you weirdos."
Her reply quickly spread almost as fast as the original theory.
"It's about the dumbest sh*t I ever heard and Trump isn't even sleeping he is just animated that way. Congrats and good luck with the baby by the way — you're beautiful!” wrote one user.
Another commenter questioned, "Why would they allow you to stand knowing that you are pregnant?"
A third added, "People really thought there was a button hidden on her stomach? She looks perfectly normal to me."
Some users also questioned why people assumed she was constantly touching her stomach simply because she was pregnant.
"I don't see a pregnant woman touching her belly every 5 seconds,” said one netizen.
Others joked about the viral moment instead.
"The baby kicked once, and suddenly Trump's eyes opened. Y'all really thought she had a secret remote in there."
Apparently, the mystery woman behind Trump isn’t a mystery at all
While many viewers described her as a “mystery woman,” Franklin is the founder and CEO of The Conservateur, a conservative media company covering politics, culture, fashion, and lifestyle.
She launched the publication while studying at the University of California, Berkeley, telling her experience as a conservative student inspired her to create media aimed at young conservative women.
Before launching the platform, Franklin worked in Republican politics and served as a coalition’s coordinator during Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign.
She later became director of correspondence during Trump’s first administration.
She has also worked with Fox News as an associate editor and as an administrative and production assistant and now co-hosts the podcast Sincerely American, which discusses politics, faith, family, culture, and lifestyle.
She currently lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, Drake Franklin, and their young daughter, Vivienne.
During the Oval Office event, Franklin explained why she had been invited to attend
Introducing herself, she said, "I'm a mom, first and foremost."
She revealed that she already has a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and is now pregnant with her second child.
Franklin spoke in support of giving parents more flexibility when making healthcare decisions for their children.
She told those gathered that she is not against vaccines.
Instead, she believes parents should be allowed to work with their doctors and decide what is best for their own families.
"I'm not anti-vaccine at all. I'm pro-vaccine, but we want to be able to have the freedom to space it out and to choose which one works for our child."
After the event, Franklin thanked Trump and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on X, saying she felt honored to attend and hoped parents would have greater freedom to make informed medical decisions for their children.
"Half of the internet went wild accusing you of being a robot," wrote one viewer
