GOP staffers secretly using 'burner phones' to bet against their own party: analysis

Republican insiders watching President Donald Trump's grip on power slip ahead of the midterms have started to use burner phones while it's believed that some staffers are wagering on prediction markets, according to a report. Polymarket, an online prediction market platform, has suggested as of Tuesday that Democrats have an 84 percent chance of taking control of the House and 51 percent chance of winning back the Senate, The i Paper reported. Democrats need three House seats and four Senate seats to flip Congress to blue. Trump's dropping approval rating and the Iran war have left Republicans increasingly concerned about November. "What’s at stake is arguably the very future of the presidency, the difference between a lame duck quacking his way towards January 2029 or a newly empowered Trump who once again defies the odds and pulls victory from the jaws of defeat," according to The i Paper. "In public, Republican lawmakers are not voicing their concerns too loudly, as speaking out would infuriate the President and could lead to a primary challenge or ritual humiliation on Truth Social – or worse. But out of sight, and perhaps using burner phones, a few Republican staffers are likely placing bets on Polymarket and other sites," The i Paper reported.And if Democrats secure majority, it could change Trump's trajectory — and what's next for the Republican Party. "If Democrats flip the House, they’ll be able to exercise significant oversight over the Trump administration. This is a fate he is desperate to avoid," according to The i Paper. "With very few exceptions, Republicans in Congress have largely rolled over and looked the other way since he returned to the Oval Office in January 2025, allowing the mercurial President to have his way on everything from tariffs to war powers.""Committees led by inquisitive Democrats could hold high-profile public hearings into everything from the decision to go to war with Iran, to immigration enforcement, or even the large, mysterious bets placed on prediction markets just before major breaking news. Insider trading, anyone?"