Lara and Eric Trump's secret inaugural exchange unpacked after moment goes viral: 'Stop the hand sign'

WASHINGTON, DC: Lara Trump raised eyebrows online after a bizarre moment between her and her husband Eric Trump went viral.

The former Republican National Committee co-chair went viral after a curious moment between her and Eric at Donald Trump’s second presidential inauguration.

Trump was sworn into office on January 20 at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington, DC. It was a historic moment packed with VIPs — from political heavyweights to Trump’s family members — including his son Eric and Eric’s wife, Lara.

The cameras caught every little detail - and social media sleuths have been combing through those seconds of footage for drama.

Viral moment between Eric and Lara Trump

In the clips, Eric Trump strides over to his wife, who’s seated in the front row of the event. He then makes a gesture with his hands that vaguely resembles an inverted triangle. Lara, who’s clearly paying attention, taps Eric’s arm and whispers something to him. Eric drops his hands almost immediately, clasps them together, and shifts slightly to the side.

An X (formerly Twitter) user posted the clip with the caption, “It looks to me like the blonde lady tells the guy she whispers to, ‘Stop the hand sign.’” The post quickly gained traction, with over 11 million views at the time of writing.

One commenter on X asked, “What’s the gesture supposed to mean?” The original poster responded with conspiracy-tinged suggestions: “World Order, NWO, the deep state, etc. Many people are saying he was trolling Democrats.”

Someone else quipped: "She's saying stop flashing the secret sign. Or maybe she's saying, 5 seconds is long enough."

Meanwhile, on TikTok — where the same clip has racked up more than 8.5 million views — a user speculated that Lara said, “Eric, stop.”

Illuminati theories and other speculations

A flood of TikTok users claimed Eric’s hand gesture was an “Illuminati sign.” For the uninitiated, the Illuminati is that shadowy secret organization conspiracy theorists love to blame for pretty much everything. Over the years, countless celebrities and public figures have been accused of being part of this so-called global elite, according to Newsweek.

Naturally, Eric’s little hand move got swept into the chaos.

Others, however, had less sensational takes. One commenter called it a “steeple” gesture, explaining that it’s often associated with confidence or focus. “It is commonly used by leaders, public figures, and speakers during formal events or speeches,” they added.

Another TikTok user chimed in with: “My professor taught us this in public speaking classes to do this when nervous. It is to help refocus.”

While the conspiracy theories and “Illuminati” accusations are sensational takes, some viewers pointed out a much more down-to-earth explanation.

One TikTok user speculated, “She clearly couldn’t see what he was doing [with his hands] from that angle! So maybe, just maybe it’s something as simple as [her] telling him not to stand too much in front of her?”

Another user agreed, adding: “You can see Eric [unconsciously] short step forward about a foot, Eric was now blocking Lara and other family. She told him to move back. The whole family is super excited, as they should be.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.