Polymarket took down wagers tied to rescue of downed Air Force officer

Polymarket has come under fire following its decision to allow users to wager on the timing of the U.S. confirmation regarding the rescue of Air Force personnel shot down over Iran. Representative Seth Moulton, a Democratic congressman, voiced his outrage in a recent social media post, stating, "They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member. And people are betting on whether or not they’ll be saved. This is DISGUSTING." This incident gained further attention when President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that one of the service members, a weapons system officer, had been successfully rescued. Moulton condemned Polymarket as a "dystopian death market" and highlighted that Donald Trump Jr. is among its investors. In response to the controversy, the congressman has prohibited his staff from engaging in prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi. In light of the backlash, Polymarket quickly removed the market in question, acknowledging it did not adhere to the company's integrity standards. "It should not have been posted, and we are investigating how this slipped through our internal safeguards," the company stated. Polymarket has previously facilitated substantial trading volumes, with hundreds of millions of dollars exchanged on contracts related to U.S. and Israeli military actions in Iran.