Trump Teleprompter Operator Won $100K Betting on His Speeches

The teleprompter operator for President Donald Trump has landed in the middle of a scandal: according to an investigation, he used his position to profit from bets on the content of the president's speeches. The amount in question exceeds $100,000, which the man reportedly earned by making predictions on the Kalshi platform.

Gabriel Perez, who has worked with Trump's teleprompter for years, according to ABC News, has entered settlement talks with federal regulators. Investigators found that he knew in advance which words and topics the president would touch upon in his addresses and successfully bet on those mentions. Over three months, he placed bets on more than a dozen public events, including the State of the Union and the address at the World Economic Forum.

Perez had access to the final versions of the speeches and even to edits made by Trump himself, giving him a huge advantage over other bettors. The investigation also revealed that he sometimes withdrew funds mid-speech when the president deviated from the written text and did not say the expected phrases. Trump's improvisations, therefore, could have derailed his plans.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, returning from maternity leave, commented on the situation: Trump called the alleged scheme "a disgrace" and personally ordered Perez to be placed on unpaid administrative leave. However, another teleprompter operator will handle the president's evening speech on Thursday.

The Kalshi platform, where the bets were placed, said it had detected suspicious transactions itself and reported them to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The agency is discussing a deal with Perez that would require him to forfeit his profits and refrain from similar bets in the future. Kalshi's rules explicitly prohibit using insider information obtained at work.

This case raises questions about security and ethics at the highest level of power. While betting on political events is legal in the U.S., using insider information for personal gain could be considered a violation of the law. Experts note that such incidents undermine trust in the transparency of political processes.

For Trump, who always pays great attention to his speeches, this story has become an unpleasant surprise. His team has already said it will take measures to prevent similar leaks in the future. Meanwhile, Perez is reportedly cooperating with the investigation, and details of his deal with regulators may become public soon.