The White House on Thursday condemned as "a disgrace" a Trump administration teleprompter operator accused of betting on President Donald Trump's speeches, saying he has been placed on paid administrative leave amid a federal investigation.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Donald Trump had been briefed on the matter and condemned the staffer's alleged conduct during Thursday's White House press briefing."Obviously, I'm aware of the report.The president is, too.
I spoke with him about it," Leavitt said."He believes it's deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace."TRUMP KEEPS 'REALLY BIG' ADDRESS UNDER WRAPS AS WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘NOBODY KNOWS’ WHAT HE’LL REVEALPresident Trump reads from a teleprompter as he makes remarks in the White House Rose Garden, in Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2020.
(Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post via Getty Images)Leavitt said the employee has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation and confirmed a different teleprompter operator would handle Trump's speech Thursday evening.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Washington.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)ABC News first reported that federal investigators with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission found a White House staffer — identified by sources as Gabriel Perez, Trump's teleprompter operator since 2016 — allegedly made tens of thousands of dollars by betting on the contents of Trump's speeches through the prediction market Kalshi."The White House has strict ethics guidelines that we expect all staffers and officials to follow," White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News when asked about the report.
"The staffer in question is fully cooperating with the CFTC."A CFTC spokesperson told Fox News the agency "can't confirm or deny an investigation."President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Iraq's Prime Mini...