…
World
Trump's Teleprompter Operator Suspended Over Allegations He Bet on His Speech Wording
Herz — World Desk · · 30s summary · 3 min read
The essentials
Gabriel Perez, who has operated Donald Trump's teleprompter since 2016, was placed on unpaid administrative leave on July 16, 2026, after allegations that he used his advance access to presidential speech texts to place bets on Kalshi, an online predictive-markets platform founded in 2018. Perez reportedly wagered on specific words and phrases Trump would speak through Kalshi's "mentions" market. His estimated profits—between $90,000 and over $100,000 depending on sources—have been frozen by regulators. Kalshi's compliance team detected unusual betting patterns and reported them to the CFTC, the federal agency overseeing predictive markets.
- Gabriel Perez suspended without pay on July 16, 2026, after suspicious betting on Kalshi predictive markets
- He allegedly used advance access to Trump speech texts to bet on specific words spoken in presidential addresses
- Estimated profits of $90,000–$100,000+ were frozen by regulators following the investigation
- Kalshi reported unusual betting patterns to federal watchdog CFTC
- Multiple insider trading cases now target predictive markets across the United States
What we know
Gabriel Perez has operated Trump's teleprompter—the display device that scrolls text to guide speakers through their remarks—since 2016. On July 16, 2026, he was placed on unpaid administrative leave. He held the position of deputy assistant to the president and earned an annual salary of $175,000.
Perez is suspected of using his advance access to presidential speech texts to place bets on Kalshi, an online predictive-markets platform founded in 2018. These bets specifically targeted Kalshi's "mentions" market, where users wager on the exact words, subjects, or phrases a speaker will pronounce during a public address.
Kalshi's compliance team detected unusual betting patterns and reported them to the CFTC, the federal agency responsible for overseeing predictive markets. Perez was engaged in negotiations with federal regulators to address the allegations at the time of his suspension.
On the evening of July 16, 2026, a different operator managed Trump's teleprompter during his televised speech on election integrity.
White House response
deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace
— Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, July 16, 2026
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the situation as deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace. She stated that Trump had been informed and that the White House maintained stringent ethical standards regarding such matters.
A widening legal landscape
The Perez case is part of a growing pattern of similar cases. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched its first insider-trading prosecutions related to predictive markets. One targets a special forces soldier accused of betting on the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. Another concerns a Google employee accused of wagering on user search activity using internal data. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty.
In May 2026, Kalshi imposed fines on three American political candidates who bet on the results of their own elections. In June 2026, federal authorities revealed they were investigating George Santos, a former Republican member of Congress, for alleged insider trading on Kalshi. He reportedly wagered on his own attendance at the State of the Union address.
Timeline
- May 2026Kalshi imposes fines on three American political candidates who wagered on the results of their own elections.
Topics
Related articles
Latest articles
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to react.
