Trump Suspends Teleprompter Operator Over Alleged Insider Betting Scheme

According to ABC News, Gabriel Perez allegedly earned more than $100,000 by wagering on specific words and phrases that would appear in Trump’s public addresses, including major speeches delivered while working as the president’s teleprompter operator.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had been informed of the allegations and described the matter as serious.

“I’m aware of the report, the president is too. I spoke with him about it. He believes it’s deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace,” Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt announced that Perez had been placed on unpaid administrative leave and would no longer work at the White House, adding that the decision was made directly by Trump.

Kalshi said it detected suspicious trading activity connected to markets predicting the content of Trump’s speeches and referred the matter to the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC].

Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, said the company’s surveillance team identified unusual trades and promptly notified federal regulators after conducting its own investigation.

The platform also stated that more than $90,000 in alleged profits had been frozen before Perez could withdraw the funds and that discussions regarding a possible settlement are ongoing.

According to the report, Perez had served as Trump’s teleprompter operator since 2016 and allegedly placed bets on multiple presidential appearances, including the State of the Union address, remarks delivered to the World Economic Forum in Davos, and a December primetime address.

ABC News further reported that Perez sometimes adjusted or exited his positions while speeches were underway when Trump departed from prepared remarks, avoiding words or phrases on which bets had been placed.

The allegations surfaced only hours before Trump was scheduled to deliver another nationally televised address focusing on election security.

Leavitt confirmed that a different teleprompter operator would handle the event.

The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of online prediction markets in the United States, where regulators have increasingly examined concerns over insider trading and the misuse of non-public information.

In a separate case, a US soldier is facing federal charges after allegedly using classified information to place bets related to the January operation targeting former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, reportedly earning more than $400,000 through online prediction markets.

The White House said strict ethical rules prohibit employees from using confidential information for personal financial gain.

Despite the controversy, Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., has served as an adviser to Kalshi since January 2025 and has publicly praised the platform after it correctly projected Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.