Gabriel Perez, employed at the White House since 2016 as a teleprompter operator, placed bets on Kalshi prediction markets concerning specific phrases in President Trump's speeches, with reports indicating profits near or above $100,000 before the platform froze withdrawals exceeding $90,000 and referred the matter to the CFTC. The CFTC is investigating or pursuing settlement talks, and Perez was placed on administrative leave with conflicting reports on whether it was paid or unpaid. The events were reported on July 16, with a disputed White House statement attributed to press secretary Karoline Leavitt.