Story perspectives

Trump condemns operator’s $100K betting, urges ban on officials

7/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump called the teleprompter operator’s betting scandal unfortunate and a disgrace.
Gabriel Perez was placed on leave after allegedly earning $100,000 betting on speeches and is cooperating with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Kalshi flagged the trades, froze $90,000 of Perez’s winnings, and referred them to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Senator John Curtis used the case to urge Congress to bar officials from betting on prediction markets.

History

Historical Context

The 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, signed by President Barack Obama on July 21, overhauled U.S. finance after the 2008 crisis, giving the CFTC authority over OTC derivatives and stretching 848 pages. Though parts were rolled back in 2018, the law’s consumer-protection focus persists, prompting Senator John Curtis and the Senate Banking Committee to propose a ban on federal employees trading in prediction markets.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump called the teleprompter operator’s betting scandal unfortunate and a disgrace.
Gabriel Perez was placed on leave after allegedly earning $100,000 betting on speeches and is cooperating with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Kalshi flagged the trades, froze $90,000 of Perez’s winnings, and referred them to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Senator John Curtis used the case to urge Congress to bar officials from betting on prediction markets.

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