--- title: "Kalshi Investigates Bets on White House Press Secretary Pick" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-10T01:05:17.111Z" source_reported: "2026-10-10T00:00:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-10T01:05:17.111Z" trust_score: 70 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 28 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-10T01:00:10.755125+00:00" --- # Kalshi Investigates Bets on White House Press Secretary Pick *Prediction market probes suspicious trades made before Katie Zacharia's selection was announced.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Trust 70: multiple independent outlets report the probe and provide specific bet figures from the Wall Street Journal. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Critic 95: article gives context, quotes Kalshi spokesperson, separates facts, includes precise numbers and notes ongoing investigation. - Hype 28 of 100, lower is better. Hype 28: language is measured; headline is lively but not exaggerated relative to article content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Kalshi is investigating suspicious trades placed on its platform before Katie Zacharia was named White House press secretary, according to the Wall Street Journal. - At least three small wagers, ranging from $19 to $80, were placed before the announcement and were expected to pay out thousands of dollars. - Zacharia had a low probability, about 1 percent, of being selected for the role on Kalshi prior to the news breaking. - The investigation into the trades comes amid growing scrutiny of prediction markets and the potential for insider trading. The prediction market Kalshi has begun an investigation into trades that appear to have anticipated the selection of Katie Zacharia as White House press secretary. The Wall Street Journal reported the probe, citing a company spokesperson. Kalshi declined to comment on the report. The company is examining trades made on its platform that were tied to Zacharia's appointment. Details indicate that at least three small wagers were placed shortly before news of Zacharia's selection emerged. One bet of $19 was expected to yield $1,896, while bets of approximately $74 and $80 were anticipated to pay $3,689 and $4,023 respectively. Before the announcement, Zacharia, a conservative commentator who had a brief tenure at the Department of Homeland Security, was given about a 1 percent chance of securing the press secretary role on Kalshi. ## Coverage comparison Reports from CNBC, Channel News Asia, The Star Kuala Lumpur, Raw Story, Devdiscourse, New York Post, and WTVB all carried the story of Kalshi's investigation into suspicious trades tied to Katie Zacharia's selection as White House press secretary, citing the Wall Street Journal. The reports agreed on the core facts: Kalshi's probe, the timing of the bets, the amounts wagered, the potential payouts, and Zacharia's low odds on the platform beforehand. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated digests mention the specific details of the bets placed, such as the $19 wager expected to pay $1,896, which were detailed in the centre-rated reports. The right-rated digests do not specify the amounts of the bets or their potential payouts. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 33% (3) - Centre: 45% (4) - Right: 22% (2) 0 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-10T01:00:10.755125+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-10T01:15:14.898Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - CNBC and Raw Story, rated left, both reported on Kalshi's investigation into suspicious trades connected to Katie Zacharia's appointment as White House press secretary. Raw Story's headline stated that Trump's "long-shot press secretary pick sparks investigation into who knew in advance." Both outlets noted that Zacharia had not been considered a top contender and had a low probability of selection on Kalshi. ### Centre - Channel News Asia, Devdiscourse, and WTVB, rated centre, focused on Kalshi's probe into suspicious trades linked to the White House press secretary selection. Channel News Asia's report included details about the specific amounts wagered and their potential payouts, as well as mentioning that prediction markets face scrutiny over insider information. It also noted a previous investigation into Trump's teleprompter operator for potential insider trading. ### Right - The New York Post and The Star Kuala Lumpur, rated right, reported on Kalshi's investigation into what the New York Post described as "shady bets" on the new White House press secretary. Both outlets cited the Wall Street Journal and mentioned the timing of the bets relative to Zacharia's announcement. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 4 - veryHigh: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Star Kuala Lumpur](https://thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2026/10/10/kalshi-probes-suspicious-trades-tied-to-trump-press-secretary-pick-wsj-reports) — Kalshi probes suspicious trades tied to Trump press secretary pick, WSJ reports - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/trump-kalshi) — Trump’s long-shot press secretary pick sparks investigation into who knew in advance: WSJ - [Devdiscourse](https://devdiscourse.com/article/international/3990033-kalshi-probes-suspicious-trades-tied-to-trump-press-secretary-pick-wsj-reports) — Kalshi probes suspicious trades tied to Trump press secretary pick, WSJ reports - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/10/09/business/kalshi-probes-shady-bets-on-new-white-house-press-secretary-report) — Kalshi probes shady bets on new White House press secretary: report - [CNBC](https://cnbc.com/video/2026/10/09/kalshi-launches-probe-into-bets-on-trumps-pick-for-white-house-press-secretary-according-to-wsj.html) — Kalshi launches probe into bets on Trump's pick for White House Press Secretary, according to WSJ - [Channel News Asia](https://channelnewsasia.com/business/kalshi-probes-suspicious-trades-tied-trump-press-secretary-pick-wsj-reports-6448026) — Kalshi probes suspicious trades tied to Trump press secretary pick, WSJ reports - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/10/09/kalshi-probes-suspicious-trades-tied-to-trump-press-secretary-pick-wsj-reports) — Kalshi probes suspicious trades tied to Trump press secretary pick, WSJ reports - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/kalshi-investigating-suspicious-bets-on-trumps-new-white-house-press-secretary) — Kalshi Investigating Suspicious Bets on Trump’s New White House Press Secretary - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/business/finance/kalshi-probes-suspicious-trades-tied-trump-press-secretary-pick-wsj-reports-2026-10-09) — Kalshi probes suspicious trades tied to Trump press secretary pick, WSJ reports ## Questions **What is Kalshi investigating?** Kalshi is investigating suspicious trades made on its prediction market platform. These trades appear to have anticipated the selection of Katie Zacharia as the White House press secretary before the news was publicly announced. **What were the suspicious trades?** At least three small wagers were placed on Kalshi before Katie Zacharia's selection was announced. These bets, ranging from $19 to $80, were expected to yield significant profits, with payouts potentially reaching thousands of dollars. **What were Katie Zacharia's chances of being selected?** On the Kalshi prediction market, Katie Zacharia had approximately a 1 percent chance of being selected for the White House press secretary role before the announcement was made. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Kalshi Investigates Bets on White House Press Secretary Pick", https://mediabias.news/politics/kalshi-investigates-bets-on-white-house-press-secretary-pick