One week was enough: The surprising appointment that is stirring up the White House

Katie Zakaria's surprising selection as White House press secretary, after candidates were disqualified for criticizing Trump, has sparked an investigation into suspicious bets. A $19 bet placed the day before the announcement is expected to yield $1,896, and additional bets of $74 and $80 are expected to yield thousands of dollars. Kalshi is checking whether insider information was used.

Katie Zakaria's surprising selection as White House press secretary has sparked a political uproar and an investigation into suspicious bets. Candidates for the position were disqualified for criticizing President Trump, and Zakaria was unexpectedly chosen after a rapid process: a source familiar with the details said that last week she was not even being considered for the role. Trump consulted with associates and advisors, including Caroline Leavitt, and Zakaria met with him in the Oval Office on Friday morning. Alongside the political surprise, Reuters reported, citing the Wall Street Journal, that Kalshi opened an investigation into suspicious bets related to the selection. Zakaria's odds on the betting platform were estimated at only about 1% before the announcement. A $19 bet placed on Thursday night is expected to yield $1,896; two additional bets of $74 and $80 placed on Friday are expected to yield $3,689 and $4,023 respectively. According to Mediaite, the bets were placed less than 20 minutes before reports of the selection began. Kalshi declined to comment on the report. The review is not a determination that insider information was used, but alongside the question of loyalty that filtered candidates, the question now being examined is whether someone knew in advance.