I have previously travelled to the US at the Federal Government's expense to take part in a conference (I was on the organising committe and also spoke at the meeting). I had all my travel and expenses paid but was not paid a fee. That was fine on a normal ESTA entry, as it's "business travel".
But these are not normal times; you're at mercy of somebody from ICE at the border, and if (s)he thinks "you get your travel and expenses paid, that's a fee" then you're out of luck (and in jail). That's the point being made here.
And btw, I *have* been held up at the border before while travelling on an ESTA. I was just going to do experiments in a US lab; nothing illegal, nothing paid for by any US institution apart from the lab facilities.
If you are paid travel and expenses that is business travel; if you are paid a speaker fee (especially if it is paid to you personally rather to your employer) it becomes work. (In the UK we have a specific visa for paid speakers).
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