White House Teleprompter Operator suspended for making bets on Trump’s speeches; Trump denounces networks that declined to air his speech live
(Donald Trump’s longtime teleprompter operator,
Gabriel Perez (pictured), accused of profiting from bets linked to content in Trump’s speeches)
A White House staff controversy and a divisive presidential address converged Thursday night as longtime Trump teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez was suspended following allegations that he profited by betting on the contents of President Donald Trump’s speeches, only hours before Trump delivered a nationally televised address that several major television networks chose not to air live.
Perez, a veteran member of Trump’s production team who has worked with him since the 2016 campaign, served as one of the president’s teleprompter operators and reportedly helped prepare speech text, including incorporating last-minute edits from Trump himself. According to ABC News and other outlets, federal investigators believe Perez used nonpublic knowledge of upcoming presidential remarks to place wagers on the prediction-market platform Kalshi, allegedly earning more than $100,000 through trades tied to specific words and phrases expected to appear in Trump’s speeches.
The White House confirmed Thursday that Perez has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) investigates the allegations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump viewed the alleged conduct as “deeply unfortunate” and “frankly a disgrace,” adding that White House ethics rules prohibit such activity.
According to reports, Kalshi’s internal surveillance system detected unusual trading patterns and referred the matter to federal regulators. The company has said it is cooperating with investigators and that it froze much of Perez’s alleged profits before they could be withdrawn. Reports indicate Perez is cooperating with investigators and is engaged in settlement discussions with the CFTC. No criminal charges had been announced as of Friday.
The case has become one of the highest-profile investigations involving prediction markets, which have expanded rapidly in recent years by allowing users to wager on future events ranging from elections to economic reports and presidential speeches. Regulators and lawmakers have increasingly scrutinized whether insiders could exploit confidential government information for financial gain.
A Presidential Address Marked by Unverified Claims
Just hours after news of Perez’s suspension broke, Trump addressed the nation from the White House, focusing largely on election security. During the speech, the president alleged that China had improperly accessed U.S. voter data and reiterated longstanding concerns about vulnerabilities in America’s election system.
The president did not present evidence to substantiate those claims during the address, and multiple news organizations noted that no evidence has emerged demonstrating widespread voter fraud in U.S. elections.
The speech prompted an unusual programming decision by several major broadcasters. ABC, NBC and CNN declined to carry the address live in its entirety. CBS aired most of the speech while including editorial disclaimers about Trump’s previous false claims regarding the 2020 election. Fox News carried the address but also noted on air that it had not independently verified the president’s assertions concerning electronic voting systems.
During his remarks, Trump criticized ABC and NBC for declining to interrupt regular programming to broadcast his speech live. Without offering evidence, he accused the networks and other media organizations of concealing corruption in the election system and claimed they were participating in “a plot.”
Trump went further by describing the networks’ refusal to air his speech live as an act of “fraud” and argued that it should justify revoking their broadcast licenses. Trump has made similar calls against major broadcasters in the past, asserting that their coverage is politically biased. Free speech advocates have previously expressed concern over such proposals, while legal experts note that broadcast licenses are governed by federal law and established regulatory procedures rather than presidential directive.
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Two Stories, One Night of Political Turbulence
Although unrelated, the suspension of a trusted White House staff member and the controversy surrounding Trump’s televised address unfolded within hours of one another, creating a politically charged evening for the administration.
The Perez investigation has raised fresh questions about ethics and insider information in the rapidly growing prediction-market industry, while the president’s speech reignited debate over election integrity claims, media responsibility, and the role broadcasters play in deciding whether to air presidential addresses live.
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What’s Next
Teleprompter Investigation: Federal regulators are expected to continue their investigation into Gabriel Perez’s trading activity. Reports indicate the CFTC is considering civil penalties that could include requiring Perez to surrender any profits allegedly obtained through the trades and barring him from participating in similar prediction-market activity in the future. The White House has not indicated when, or if, Perez could return to his position.
Presidential Speech Fallout: Trump’s accusations against ABC and NBC are likely to fuel continued debate over media coverage of presidential communications and the limits of executive authority regarding broadcast licensing. Networks have defended editorial decisions about live programming in past administrations, while election experts continue to emphasize that extraordinary claims about election security require supporting evidence.
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(Sources: Business Insider, Yahoo! News, ABC News, Forbes)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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