White House Briefing Fuels Insider Trading Debate—Pelosi Joins the Irony

A viral clip showing White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt ending a briefing just before a 65-minute betting threshold on the prediction market Kalshi caused an uproar, with critics alleging market manipulation. Although the market operator, Kalshi, confirmed the low trade volume ($3,400) made insider trading claims "baseless," the incident amplified existing regulatory concerns, particularly following a $400,000 payout on a Polymarket bet concerning the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In response, 30 Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, introduced the "Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026," aiming to ban government insiders from betting on policy or political outcomes where they have material non-public information. The inclusion of Pelosi is noted as ironic, given the long-standing scrutiny over her husband Paul Pelosi's stock trades, which have significantly outperformed market averages. Pelosi's office maintains she has no involvement in her husband's transactions and previously defended the right of officials to participate in the free market.

The proposed legislation faces an uncertain future, complicated by reports that Donald Trump Jr. has a significant investment in Polymarket, suggesting potential partisan division on regulating these increasingly popular markets.

(Source：BeInCrypto)