The daughter of an American police officer killed in the line of duty, Alexandria Diaz, is clearing the air after footage of her uncomfortable encounter with President Trump went viral online. 

Ms. Diaz was filmed at the White House on Monday while accepting a Medal of Sacrifice on behalf of her father, Ignacio Diaz, a Palm Beach deputy sheriff who died, along with two of his colleagues, after they were struck by a car while assisting with a roadside breakdown last November. Mr. Diaz served in the force for more than a decade and was hailed as a “hero” by the sheriff’s office following his untimely death. 

The now-viral clip shows a stonefaced Ms. Diaz, 24, looking visibly uncomfortable standing next to the president, with whom she barely makes eye contact. Mr. Trump, appearing confused, glances over at her several times. When the president asks her if she would like to say any words on behalf of the force, she declines. 

Following the ceremony, the official White House instagram account shared several images of Mr. Trump handing out the medals. Ms. Diaz was not included in any of the images shared.

Ms. Diaz has since shared a video on TikTok explaining what was going on in the video. “This is actually my worst nightmare, to go viral, become a meme, whatever,” she says. “I literally just landed back home, and I got a text from my friend who was like, ‘You’re going vial,’ and I was like, ‘God no.'”

She goes on to clarify that “I’m not a cop, not a Republican,” but that she was there to accept the medal for her father whose death became a “huge news story” because it occurred in Palm Beach, where Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort is located. She ended her message by defiantly proclaiming: “Free Palestine.” By Thursday morning, her video had been viewed nearly half a million times.