Trump’s inauspicious defense of a soldier accused of insider trading
by the Trump administration.
The Justice Department has indicted a US special forces soldier who allegedly used classified information to make $400,000 on Polymarket off the January US raid to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Allegations in the indictment seem to confirm prevalent concerns about the potential for government officials to engage in what’s more-or-less insider trading.
But President Donald Trump — who often shrugs off wrongdoing by allies and has pardoned several high-profile fraudsters — doesn’t sound overly bothered by the whole thing.
When Trump was asked Thursday about the indictment of Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, he inquired whether Van Dyke had bet for or against Maduro’s ouster.
When informed the soldier had predicted Maduro would be ousted, Trump compared it to baseball player Pete Rose betting that his team would win.
Rose was banned from Major League Baseball in 1989 after an investigation found he had gambled on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Rose’s defenders have argued that betting that his team would win made his gambling offenses less serious.
“That’s like Pete Rose betting on his own team,” Trump said, adding: “Now, if he bet against his team, that would be no good. But he bet on his own team.”
Share This Article!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the Direct Policy Center’s position.Copyright: We allow sharing of links to our published research articles and analyses (otherwise protected by intellectual property (rights) on the condition that their content is not copied, wholly or partially, republished elsewhere, or reproduced in any form without the prior consent of the Direct Policy Center. All rights reserved © 2025
Trump’s inauspicious defense of a soldier accused of insider trading
by the Trump administration.
The Justice Department has indicted a US special forces soldier who allegedly used classified information to make $400,000 on Polymarket off the January US raid to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Allegations in the indictment seem to confirm prevalent concerns about the potential for government officials to engage in what’s more-or-less insider trading.
But President Donald Trump — who often shrugs off wrongdoing by allies and has pardoned several high-profile fraudsters — doesn’t sound overly bothered by the whole thing.
When Trump was asked Thursday about the indictment of Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, he inquired whether Van Dyke had bet for or against Maduro’s ouster.
When informed the soldier had predicted Maduro would be ousted, Trump compared it to baseball player Pete Rose betting that his team would win.
Rose was banned from Major League Baseball in 1989 after an investigation found he had gambled on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. Rose’s defenders have argued that betting that his team would win made his gambling offenses less serious.
“That’s like Pete Rose betting on his own team,” Trump said, adding: “Now, if he bet against his team, that would be no good. But he bet on his own team.”
Share This Article!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the Direct Policy Center’s position.Copyright: We allow sharing of links to our published research articles and analyses (otherwise protected by intellectual property (rights) on the condition that their content is not copied, wholly or partially, republished elsewhere, or reproduced in any form without the prior consent of the Direct Policy Center. All rights reserved © 2025
