Donald Trump’s speeches reportedly became an unlikely source of profit for one White House staffer. New reports claimed the president’s longtime teleprompter operator allegedly made more than $100,000 by betting on what Trump would or wouldn’t say during major public appearances.
The allegations surfaced as federal regulators reportedly investigated whether confidential access to Trump’s prepared remarks had been used for personal financial gain. The claims also prompted swift action from the White House after details of the investigation emerged.
Donald Trump’s teleprompter operator reveals behind-the-scenes bets during speeches
According to ABC News, Gabriel Perez, who had operated Donald Trump’s teleprompter since the 2016 presidential campaign, was in settlement talks with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Investigators reportedly alleged Perez used advance knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place winning bets on prediction market platform Kalshi.
The outlet reported that Perez allegedly wagered on more than a dozen speeches over a three-month period, including the State of the Union address, Trump’s remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a Medal of Honor ceremony, and other public appearances. The bets reportedly centered on whether Trump would mention specific words, phrases, or topics.
Because Perez reportedly reviewed nearly every prepared speech and received last-minute edits directly from Trump, investigators believed he had access to valuable nonpublic information, ABC News reported.
The investigation also reportedly found that Perez sometimes withdrew or altered wagers during speeches after Trump deviated from his prepared remarks. Trump had previously joked about his habit of improvising, saying during a January appearance at the Detroit Economic Club, “You know, when you go up here, you take a big chance, especially me because I go off teleprompter about 80% of the time,” as quoted by the publication.
Kalshi said it detected the suspicious trading activity and referred the matter to federal regulators. The company’s lead lawyer, Bobby DeNault revealed, “Our surveillance team promptly flagged and referred these trades to the CFTC, and we are cooperating and assisting regulators.”
The White House also addressed the controversy. White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said, “The White House has strict ethics guidelines that we expect all staffers and officials to follow. The staffer in question is fully cooperating with the CFTC.”
Meanwhile, TMZ reported that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump considered the alleged betting scheme “a disgrace” and had personally placed Perez on unpaid administrative leave. She also confirmed another teleprompter operator would handle the president’s future speeches.
Federal prosecutors reportedly declined to pursue criminal charges, while regulators continued discussing a potential settlement that could require Perez to surrender any profits and refrain from similar trading in the future.
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Originally reported by Vanshika Vasundhare Singh for Mandatory
