Trump Teleprompter Operator Suspended For Betting On Presidential Speech Words

In a significant breach of protocol within the White House, a veteran teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump has been placed on unpaid leave. The staff member is accused of utilizing non-public, inside information to place bets on the specific words and phrases the President would use during major public addresses. These activities reportedly took place on the online prediction platform Kalshi, where the operator is alleged to have won a sum exceeding 100,000 dollars.

Details of the Suspension and Allegations

The White House officially announced on Thursday, July 16, that the teleprompter operator has been suspended without pay pending a full investigation. The individual involved has been identified as Gabriel Perez, who has served in this capacity for Donald Trump since his initial 2016 presidential campaign. According to reports, Perez leveraged his unique access to the President's prepared remarks to predict and bet on the vocabulary used in high-profile speeches.

The suspicious trading activity was first detected by the surveillance team at Kalshi, a regulated prediction market. S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). While Denault's public statement didn't explicitly name the operator, subsequent investigative reporting by ABC News confirmed Perez's identity through multiple sources familiar with the situation.

White House Response and Internal Regulations

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addressed the situation, noting that President Trump is fully aware of the allegations. She described the incident as both unfortunate and embarrassing for the administration. Leavitt emphasized that the White House maintains extremely strict protocols regarding the conduct of its staff and the handling of sensitive information. The decision to place the employee on unpaid leave was immediate following the disclosure of the betting activities.

This incident follows an internal memo issued by the White House in March, which explicitly warned staff members against using non-public information to participate in prediction markets. The memo was intended to prevent exactly this type of conflict of interest and ethical breach, yet the investigation suggests that the betting continued across various significant events throughout the year.

Scope of the Betting Activities

Sources indicate that the scope of the betting was extensive, covering more than a dozen speeches over a three-month period. Among the events targeted were the State of the Union address delivered earlier this year, a prime-time speech dated December 2025, and the President's remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January. On top of that, bets were reportedly placed on the President's comments during a Medal of Honor ceremony held in March.

Gabriel Perez held a position of significant trust within the President's inner circle. He was typically one of the last individuals to review and finalize the President's prepared scripts, often working directly with Trump to incorporate last-minute changes. This level of access provided him with the exact phrasing that would be used before it became public knowledge. S. Capitol.

Ongoing Investigations

Kalshi has stated that they're fully cooperating with federal regulators and have handed over all evidence collected during their internal surveillance, while the CFTC is now expected to lead the investigation into whether these actions constitute a violation of federal commodities and trading laws. The White House has reiterated its commitment to upholding ethical standards, while the future of Perez's employment remains uncertain as the legal and regulatory processes unfold.