Trump's teleprompter operator suspended over bets on speeches

A teleprompter operator for former US President Donald Trump has been placed on unpaid administrative leave following allegations that he gambled on the content of the president's speeches. The White House confirmed the suspension, stating it was ordered by the president himself.

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believes it's deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the alleged actions as "deeply unfortunate and frankly a disgrace." She reiterated that "very strict ethical guidelines" are in place at the White House, explicitly prohibiting such conduct. The operator, identified as Gabriel Perez, has reportedly profited significantly, making over $100,000 by betting on a prediction market called Kalshi. His bets focused on specific words or phrases that would appear in Trump's speeches.

Kalshi alerted the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to the suspicious activity. According to ABC News, Perez, who has operated Trump's teleprompter since 2016, is currently engaged in settlement talks with the market regulator. Leavitt's announcement came shortly before the US president's scheduled address to the nation on Thursday evening, which she stated would focus on the "integrity" of US elections.

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There are very strict ethical guidelines here at the White House that explicitly state not to do this

Leavitt encouraged "every American to tune in" to the president's speech.

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the speech would focus on the "integrity" of US elections