A woman standing behind Donald Trump during the signing of an executive order on childhood vaccines has attracted widespread attention on social media, with users focusing on her repeated nodding and hand movements. The woman, Jayme Franklin, was standing alongside the US president and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr in the Oval Office as Trump announced changes to federal childhood vaccine recommendations.

Trump signed the executive order on Monday, calling for revised recommendations on childhood vaccinations. The order promotes his long-held view that childhood vaccines should be spaced out over several appointments, a position that has been widely discredited by medical experts.

But much of the online reaction focused instead on Franklin, who could be seen smiling, holding a hand over her stomach and repeatedly nodding as the president spoke. Some social media users questioned her presence and behaviour, while others gave her the nickname “bobble head”.

“It’s a three ring circus between bobble head bimbo, babbling Bobby and Sleepy Don!” one X user wrote while sharing a clip of the announcement. “Who is this young woman holding her belly as Trump is sleeping and why is she there?” another user asked.

A third commentator wrote: “What in the cyborg MAGA fembot shit is going on here?” “Forget Trump….What is up with the woman holding her stomach???” another post said.

Franklin has not publicly addressed the reaction to her appearance. She did, however, write on X that she was “honored” to join Trump in the Oval Office for the signing.

In a statement to The Independent, she said: “I was honored to join President 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.”

It was not immediately clear what specific role Franklin played in the executive order.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said Franklin represented “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,” he said.

Franklin founded The Conservateur, a media and lifestyle brand aimed at young conservative Christian women, in November 2019.

She previously worked in Republican politics and conservative media, including as an associate editor and administrative and production assistant at Fox News, where she continues to appear as a guest commentator.

She also served as director of correspondence during Trump’s first administration and worked as a coalitions coordinator for his 2020 presidential campaign.