Topline
MAGA influencer Jayme Franklin shut down wild conspiracies that she’s pressing a hidden button in her clothing to jolt President Donald Trump awake if he falls asleep in public.
Key Facts
Franklin, founder of the conservative lifestyle brand The Conservateur, was seen frequently placing her hands on her stomach alongside Trump during a White House event Monday to announce new vaccine recommendations for children.
Some clips of Trump during the event seemingly showed him with his eyes closed, prompting social media conspiracists to coin Franklin “the zapper” and speculate whether she was touching her stomach because she was installed with a device that would “zap” Trump if he fell asleep.
Franklin rejected the claims Wednesday on X, writing, “I’m just pregnant you weirdos.”
Trump frequently appears to close his eyes during public events, though it’s unclear if he’s actually sleeping—he’s claimed previously he’s closed his eyes because he was bored, blinking for an extended period or relaxing.
Tangent
Trump raised speculation last month that he fell asleep during Sen. Lindsey Graham’s, R-S.C., funeral. The White House blasted the claims, telling People magazine he was “reflecting on the loss of his dear friend” and “anyone suggesting otherwise is a depraved moron.”
Key Background
Trump, 80, appeared to close his eyes several times while Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, spoke during Monday’s executive order signing. The order recommends separating the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine into three separate doses and directs the Health and Human Services Department to develop a plan for doing so. A number of prominent health experts have warned that separating the shots could increase the risk of infection between visits and put an unnecessary financial and logistical strain on parents if they need to attend additional visits. Trump repeatedly linked childhood vaccines to autism on Monday and claimed the MMR vaccine in its current single dosage could be “quite lethal,” though there’s no evidence to back up his claims. The vaccine has been administered in a single dose for more than 40 years and has been rigorously studied.