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A photo from the US military operation in Iran sparked criticism after White House chief of staff Susie Wiles was spotted wearing what critics initially believed was a smartwatch.
The device prompted accusations of a potential security breach at the highest levels of government inside Trump's makeshift Mar-a-Lago Situation Room.
Within hours, the chief executive of the company behind the device stepped in to shut down the speculation.
'It's called a whoop,' wrote Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of Whoop, on X, identifying the wristband seen in the widely circulated image.
'There's no story here other than a dead ayatollah and a green recovery,' he added, referring to the device's recovery score metric.
The controversy erupted after the White House released photographs of President Donald Trump overseeing 'Operation Epic Fury,' the joint US–Israeli strike that killed Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several senior Iranian officials.
In one image, Wiles is seen speaking with Trump while wearing a slim black wrist device.
Online users quickly speculated that the device resembled an Apple Watch or another Bluetooth-enabled smartwatch.
A White House photo showed Chief of Staff Susie Wiles wearing a Whoop fitness tracker during 'Operation Epic Fury'
Whoop CEO Will Ahmed wrote on X, 'It's called a whoop,' and said the device has no microphone, GPS, or cellular capability
Such devices are often restricted in classified environments due to recording and transmission capabilities with some questioning how such a wearable could be present during a top-secret military operation.
Ahmed responded publicly, stating that the Whoop band 'does not include a microphone, GPS, or cellular capability of any kind.'
He added that the device has long appeared on the National Security Agency's approved list for personal electronic devices.
Whoop, a subscription-based wearable fitness company valued at roughly $3.6bn, produces screenless trackers designed to monitor sleep, strain and recovery.
The band syncs to a smartphone app but does not itself contain a display or cellular radio.
In a separate post, Ahmed suggested that following Operation Epic Fury, Wiles likely exhibited physiological markers associated with recovery, such as a low resting heart rate and high heart rate variability - metrics the device tracks.
The White House also defended Wiles, telling the Daily Mail that Whoop devices are 'secure by design' and cleared by the NSA to be worn during classified briefings.
Still, some critics argued that even approved devices can raise concerns in ultra-sensitive settings like the Situation Room, where strict protocols typically limit personal electronics capable of wireless communication.
The first images of Trump's reaction to the military operation were released on Saturday
Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were not present in Florida during the strike; both were inside the real White House Situation Room in Washington
The Ayatollah's palace was destroyed by missiles as part of the US-Israeli military operation
Intelligence agencies have historically restricted Bluetooth-enabled wearables - including smartwatches and fitness trackers - in certain classified areas.
The uproar unfolded against the backdrop of a rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Photos released by the White House showed Trump monitoring the operation from what aides described as a makeshift Situation Room at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach. Critics seized on both the location and the visible electronic device.
'The president just started a war,' Atlantic staff writer Tom Nichols wrote on X. 'He should be in DC, as should his [national security] team, and he should have been on TV last night in the Oval - and without a dopey grandpa hat.'
Others questioned the security of the Florida setting itself.
'The 'situation room' [at Mar-a-Lago] doesn't even have walls,' one X user wrote. 'You can literally see people listening in. These are just drapes tossed over some ceiling beams. Completely open for people to see and overhear what's going on.'
Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard were not present in Florida during the strike; both were inside the real White House Situation Room in Washington, D.C.
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