A clip from a Monday Oval Office event showed an aide's hand resting on her stomach as Trump's eyes appeared to close and then snap open, spawning a viral theory that she was secretly 'zapping' him awake via a hidden button. Writer Tim Brannigan's widely shared post dubbed her 'The Zapper,' explicitly noting he had 'no idea if it's true,' which did not stop the nickname from spreading.
Several outlets identified the aide as Jayme Leagh Franklin, a former administration official who continues attending White House events; neither she nor the White House has directly addressed the theory. There is no evidence she was carrying any device, and no official body has substantiated the claim.
The clip is the latest in a recurring pattern of viral moments alleging Trump falls asleep in public, including at a December 2025 Cabinet meeting and during Senator Lindsey Graham's funeral, where his head briefly slumped. Trump has consistently denied the claims, previously saying he was merely 'blinking,' while the White House Rapid Response account and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both pushed back on specific incidents.
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