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A new report says Gabriel Perez, the man who runs President Trump’s teleprompter, allegedly used advance access to the President’s speeches to win big on a prediction market called Kalshi. The trades were flagged, the exchange froze the account, and federal regulators at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have been brought into the matter. The White House put Perez on unpaid administrative leave and called the whole thing “deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.”
How the teleprompter operator allegedly cashed in
“Mention” markets like Kalshi let people bet on whether a speaker will say a specific word or phrase. If you already know what will be said, those bets are a gift. That is the basic allegation here: Perez allegedly placed trades tied to more than a dozen President Trump speeches and ended up with roughly $90,000–$100,000 in winnings. Kalshi’s surveillance spotted unusual trading patterns, froze the account, and kept most of the profits while alerting regulators. It was not a clever loophole — it was using privileged information for personal gain.
CFTC steps in and a likely civil settlement
Kalshi referred the activity to the CFTC, and investigators opened a probe. Reporting says Perez is in talks with the CFTC about a possible civil settlement that could force him to give up profits and limit his future trading. For now, this looks like regulatory enforcement rather than a criminal indictment. Still, the precedent is clear: people are watching prediction markets closely, and the regulators are ready to act when government insiders try to monetize nonpublic jobs information.
White House reaction and the political angle
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters President Trump finds the conduct disgraceful and that Perez is cooperating with regulators. He’s been put on unpaid leave and will not operate the teleprompter going forward. That response is right and necessary. When someone with privileged access betrays trust, it harms the office, not just the boss. Republicans, conservatives and anyone who believes in law-and-order should want swift accountability here, not partisan chest-thumping or slow-walking the facts.
Why this matters for national security and prediction markets
This case is more than a gossip column scandal. It shows how vulnerable prediction markets are when insiders with access to government scripts decide to play trader. Regulators and platforms need better safeguards and clearer disclosure rules so the next teleprompter operator doesn’t think a side hustle betting on presidential lines is harmless. The CFTC should move decisively; the White House should tighten internal controls; and anyone tempted to trade on government work should remember how fast a small, stupid decision can turn into a headline that damages careers and trust in institutions.
