Kalshi examines bets that predicted Trump's press secretary

Kalshi is scrutinizing three small bets that correctly predicted Katie Zacharia would become the next White House press secretary, according to a person familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal first reported the review of the trades.

Each of the three transactions was under $100, including one for $19. When the positions were established, Zacharia traded at an implied likelihood of 1% to secure the position, allowing the positions to net thousands of dollars in profit. A Kalshi spokesperson declined to comment.

The transactions took place in what industry specialists describe as knowable markets. On October 9, 2026, the nonpartisan Anti-Corruption Data Collective published a watchdog report stating that specific knowable contracts tied to the 2026 midterm elections have generated over $20 million in cumulative trading volume.

Kalshi executives have previously stated that the exchange uses surveillance tools to detect unusual market spikes and cooperates with federal regulators and prosecutors. These wagers follow prior enforcement actions on prediction platforms, including a case where a White House teleprompter operator paid a regulatory fine after making over $107,000 on Kalshi contracts tracking presidential remarks, and an unrelated federal case involving a service member accused of earning $400,000 on Polymarket.