Trump wants probe into Beyoncé, other celeb endorsements of Harris
President Trump alleged without evidence that Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey and others were paid to publicly support Kamala Harris.
- Former President Trump is calling for an investigation into celebrity endorsements of Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
- Trump claims, without evidence, that Harris illegally paid celebrities like Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, and Oprah for their endorsements.
- Numerous celebrities endorsed both Harris and Trump during the election.
President Donald Trump said he wants a major investigation into celebrity endorsements of former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
Harris ran against Trump in a surprise shakeup election when former President Joe Biden dropped out in the face of mounting questions about his fitness for office. Despite swift support and fundraising for Harris, Trump won all of the swing states in a decisive win.
But in the early morning hours of May 19, Trump questioned whether Harris paid Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Oprah, a few of the big names who stumped for Harris in her presidential campaign.
“This was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds,” Trump said on Truth Social. “IT’S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system.”
But the claims come without evidence, as the Federal Election Commission does not explicitly ban paid endorsements. Here is what to know about celebrities in the 2024 presidential election.
Trump focuses on Beyoncé, says without evidence she was paid millions to support Kamala Harris
In a second Truth Social post later in the morning on May 19, Trump singled out Beyoncé, claiming “news reports” said that she was paid $11 million to appear at a Houston, Texas, rally in October 2024.
Beyoncé did appear at the rally with former Destiny’s Child co-star Kelly Rowland to address the crowd, but she did not sing.
Federal Election Commission records show the Harris campaign paid $165,000 to Beyoncé’s production company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, but there has been no evidence of an $11 million payment.
Beyoncé’s mother and the Harris campaign previously denied a rumor about a $10 million payment for the star during the campaign. Tina Knowles said her daughter paid for flights for herself and her team.
Beyoncé is currently on her Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour. Her song “Freedom,” which was used by the Harris campaign, is part of her setlist.
What did Bruce Springsteen say about Trump?
Bruce Springsteen performed at multiple Kamala Harris rallies during the 2024 presidential election. The call for an investigation into him comes after the star spoke out about the Trump administration on a British tour earlier this month.
“My home America, the America I’ve written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” said Springsteen, as USA TODAY previously reported by a livestream of the show.
“Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American spirit to rise with us, raise your voices and stand with us against authoritarianism and let freedom ring,” said Springsteen.
“There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous (expletive) going on out there right now … In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.”
Which celebrities endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024 election?
Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Springsteen were just a few celebrities who endorsed Kamala Harris. Some big names stopped by virtual organizing calls like “White Dudes for Harris.”
Here are some other celebrities who endorsed Kamala Harris:
- Beyoncé
- Taylor Swift
- Bruce Springsteen
- Kerry Washington
- Julia Roberts
- Jennifer Lopez
- Harrison Ford
- Dick Van Dyke
What celebrities endorsed Donald Trump?
Here are a few celebrities who endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election:
- Joe Rogan
- Megyn Kelly
- Jason Aldean
- Savannah Chrisley
- Amber Rose
- Caitlyn Jenner
- Kid Rock
- Hulk Hogan
Contributing: Chris Jordan, Joey Garrison, Caché McClay, Jay Stahl, USA TODAY Network
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
