A video showing a mysterious object being tossed from a White House window has gone viral, prompting a flurry of conspiracy theories online and contradictory explanations from an administration official and the president himself.
The footage, posted on TikTok by Washingtonian Problems, shows a person in white trousers stepping onto a second-storey windowsill and discarding a dark object, which falls down the facade of the presidential residence. A White House official told The Independent that the window was opened by a contractor carrying out routine maintenance while President Donald Trump was away golfing over the weekend.
However, at a press conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump initially dismissed the video as “probably AI-generated”, insisting that the windows are sealed and cannot be opened. When a reporter played the footage for him, he reiterated: “Those windows are sealed. They’re all sealed, you can’t open them.” The president also stated that the windows are heavily armoured, bulletproof and weigh about 600lb each.
The video, which had attracted 2.6 million views by Tuesday, fuelled various theories online. Some users pointed out that the US flag appeared to be flying at half-staff, raising questions about Mr Trump's health, although the president has said he has “never felt better”. The half-staff period was ordered to honour victims of a school shooting in Minneapolis. Others speculated about a dispute with the first lady, but no evidence of any disagreement has emerged.
Social media users also joked that the object might be the so-called “Epstein Files”. Mr Trump has sought to distance himself from the case involving his former friend Jeffrey Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019. The president has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the matter.
