President Donald Trump’s former teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, is no longer employed by the federal government, a White House official confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

Earlier in July, the prediction market platform Kalshi alerted federal regulators to suspicious trades linked to Perez involving Trump’s speeches. ABC News reported that Perez was engaged in settlement talks with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) over allegations that he used inside information about the president’s remarks to place wagers on Kalshi.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that Perez was placed on administrative leave following these reports. "The individual that was cited in that report is complying with the CFTC and has been placed on administrative leave," Leavitt said last week.

Leavitt also noted that President Trump was made aware of the situation shortly before a primetime address, describing the matter as "deeply unfortunate and, frankly, a disgrace."

Sources