Trump Demands Probe into Harris’ Celebrity Endorsements

In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump accused Harris of using campaign funds to pay high-profile entertainers for support, suggesting that the payments were hidden under the label of entertainment expenses.

“IT’S NOT LEGAL!” Trump wrote in an all-caps portion of the post. “For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system.”

He specifically named Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and U2 frontman Bono, claiming Harris relied on a “very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds.”

Trump’s comments follow a week of increasing criticism toward celebrities who’ve endorsed his political rivals. 

Rumors have circulated online that Harris’ campaign paid stars for their endorsements. But Harris campaign officials and representatives for the celebrities have strongly denied this.

Campaign finance records show that Oprah Winfrey’s production company, Harpo, was paid $1 million for a town hall event, and Beyoncé’s company received $165,000 for a rally in Texas.

Winfrey’s team clarified that she “was not compensated with a personal fee,” while Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, stated, “She did not receive a penny.”

Adrienne Elrod, a senior adviser and spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told Deadline last year that “[w]e have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person.”

However, she acknowledged that campaign laws require them to cover “ancillary costs for that performance.”

“There are laws that have to be followed,” she added. It remains unclear whether Trump’s call for a formal investigation will lead to any legal action.