The “bobble head” woman who went viral for repeatedly nodding her head and holding her stomach while standing behind President Donald Trump during a White House announcement this week has responded to some of the Internet’s wildest conspiracy theories about her.
Jayme Franklin, who is the CEO of the conservative media and lifestyle brand The Conservateur and a former Trump staffer, stood behind the president Monday as he signed an executive order calling for revamped childhood vaccine recommendations.
Viral video clips showed Trump seemingly dozing off during the announcement — while Franklin was repeatedly nodding her head and resting her hand on her stomach. Her actions had some calling her “bobble head” on social media.
Conspiracy theories quickly took off, and some Internet users joked that Franklin was “The Zapper” and had some type of remote control or button on her stomach that she could press to jolt the 80-year-old president awake.
In a viral X post that had been viewed over 29 million times, a social media conspiracy theorist wrote, “Claims she had 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.
However, Franklin was quick to squash those more sinister rumors, writing in a response to that post: “I’m just pregnant you weirdos.”
Her husband, Drake Franklin, also joined in on the joke, writing in response: “I can also debunk the robot rumors – @jaymefranklin16 has no mute button.”
Video clips of Franklin standing near Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the Oval Office went viral Monday, as Trump signed an executive order calling for changes to childhood vaccine recommendations.
Those changes promote the president’s long-held — and widely discredited — theory that childhood shots should be spaced out over several doctor’s appointments.
In a Tuesday statement to The Independent, Franklin said she was “honored” to join Trump for the “historic Executive Order signing focused on giving parents greater freedom to consult with their pediatricians and make the decisions they believe are best for their children.”
When asked what role Franklin had in the executive order, White House spokesman Kush Desai told The Independent, “Jayme Franklin represents the countless parents whose questions and concerns about America’s childhood vaccine schedule have been either ignored or mocked. President Trump promised to realign America’s vaccine schedule to match those of our peer nations, and his executive order yesterday reflects how the Administration is delivering with Gold Standard Science.”
Franklin founded The Conservateur, a media and lifestyle brand for young conservative Christian women, in 2019, after working in Republican politics and conservative media. She previously served as director of correspondence during the first Trump administration and also worked as a coalitions coordinator during Trump’s 2020 campaign.
While she may not be “The Zapper” keeping Trump awake, the 80-year-old president’s health has increasingly come under scrutiny as he continues to be seen falling on the job — prompting some Internet users to apply former President Joe Biden’s nickname of “Sleepy Joe” to him, calling him “Sleepy Don.”
Over the last year, Trump has sometimes appeared drowsy during official events, closing his eyes for 10 or 15 seconds, including at a National Guard briefing in March. Frequent bruising on his hands and swelling in his ankles have also sounded alarm bells about his health in recent months.
An April Washington Post/Ipsos survey found that just 40 percent of Americans believe Trump has the mental sharpness required for the presidency. A Reuters/Ipsos poll from the same month found that 51 percent believe his mental faculties declined over 2025 and early 2026.
