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Trump’s Teleprompter Operator Reportedly Earned Over $100K Betting on Presidential Speeches

HeadlineJul 17, 2026

Federal investigators have found that President Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez made more than $100,000 by betting on Trump’s speeches. He allegedly used the prediction market Kalshi to place the bets. The company alerted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to Perez’s suspicious activity on its “Mentions” market, where users can bet on whether specific words or phrases are uttered during public remarks. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was questioned Thursday about the scandal.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Obviously, I’m aware of the report. The president is, too. I spoke with him about it. He believes it’s deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace.”

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