Fact Check: Did a WH aide use a belly-button device to wake Trump when he dozed off?
WASHINGTON, DC: As videos of President Donald Trump making claims about childhood vaccines at a briefing with Robert F Kennedy Jr went viral, another clip from an August 10 Oval Office event is drawing attention online.
The footage shows White House aide Jayme Leagh Franklin standing beside Trump as he appears to doze off, with her hand resting on her abdomen. The clip has sparked jokes and conspiracy theories that Franklin used a hidden “belly button” device to jolt Trump awake.
Claim: White House aide Jayme Leagh Franklin used a belly button device to wake Trump
Claims she has a button fitted on her belly, and when she gets the nod that he’s asleep she moves her hand and presses a button that wakes him. They’re calling her The Zapper. No idea if it’s true but it *appears* to line up. pic.twitter.com/hgx4x6iQp6
— Tim Brannigan (@tim_brannigan) August 11, 2026
The rumor about a hidden “belly button” device that could wake Trump began with an X post about an Oval Office event on August 10.
X user Tim Brannigan shared a video with the caption: "Claims she has a button fitted on her belly, and when she gets the nod that he’s asleep she moves her hand and presses a button that wakes him. They’re calling her The Zapper. No idea if it’s true but it appears to line up."
The theory quickly went viral and received more than 10 million views. It also added to ongoing online discussions about Trump appearing to fall asleep during public events, including a recent childhood vaccine briefing with Robert F Kennedy Jr.
The roughly 16-second clip shows Jayme Leagh Franklin, a young woman with long dark hair, standing on the left. She wears a dark short-sleeved top and a red patterned scarf. For most of the clip, she keeps her right hand on or near her abdomen.
Donald Trump sits to her right in a dark suit and blue tie. His eyes remain closed for much of the clip, and he appears to doze off or nod his head. Near the end, Trump shifts or opens his eyes while Franklin's hand remains near her stomach. These details helped fuel the viral “Zapper” theory online.
Fact Check: False, no evidence to support the claim
The claim is false and unsupported. The viral “Zapper” theory is an internet joke based on a brief video and a coincidence in timing. There is no evidence that the woman had a device, button, or any role in waking President Donald Trump.
The viral posts claim that the woman, Jayme Leagh Franklin, standing near Trump, had a button fitted on her belly. According to the theory, she would press the button after receiving a signal that Trump was asleep. People online nicknamed her “The Zapper.” However, the original post itself admitted that the claim was unverified and only said the timing in the video “appears to line up.”
There is a brief moment when Franklin moves her hand and Trump shifts or opens his eyes. However, this timing does not prove that the two actions are connected. There is no evidence of a button, remote, device, or assigned “wake-up” role.
The “Zapper” idea is therefore best described as speculation, trolling or a humorous conspiracy theory based on the short clip. Some reports have also said that she is pregnant with her second child. It also builds on earlier online claims that Trump appeared drowsy during public events.
The White House has previously denied that Trump falls asleep during events. Officials have described similar moments as Trump listening with his eyes closed or taking long blinks. No specific statement addressing a “Zapper” device or Franklin's role in this clip has been reported.
