(L) Beyoncé. Photo via Parkwood Entertainment. (M) Donald Trump. Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images. (R) Bruce Springsteen. Photo by Danny Clinch
President Donald Trump has called for a federal investigation into former Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign over its endorsements from Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and other celebrities. Posted on his social media site Truth Social on Monday morning, Trump’s posts accuse the 2024 Democratic nominee, without evidence, of accepting “a major and illegal campaign contribution” from artists who appeared at Harris’s rallies.
In his posts, Trump seized on baseless online rumors claiming Harris’s campaign paid celebrities for their endorsements “under the guise of paying for entertainment.” “How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?” Trump posted. “Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers? Isn’t that a major and illegal campaign contribution? …And how much went to Oprah, and Bono???” In a separate post, Trump claimed Beyoncé received $11,000,000 to endorse Harris at a rally without performing.
Trump’s comments come as the Department of Justice, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, has dissolved its traditional independence and embarked on a targeted attack of the president’s political opponents and ending investigations into his allies.
It’s likely that Trump’s ire was sparked by Springsteen’s recent speeches targeting the president on Wednesday (March 11) during a performance in Manchester with E Street Band. In two addresses to the audience, Springsteen called Trump’s presidency “a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration” who “are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent.” Trump initially responded with insults calling Springsteen “a pushy, obnoxious jerk,” a “dried out ‘prune’ of a rocker,” et cetera.
Oprah and Beyoncé’s mother Tina Knowles have both denied that the Harris campaign paid any money for an endorsement. It is not currently illegal for a political candidate to pay for an endorsement, according to the F.E.C., unless the endorsement is not properly itemized on expenditures.