Trump claims Beyonce was paid $11m to endorse Harris, demands investigation into celebrity endorsements
On Monday, May 19, former US President Donald Trump launched into a tirade against celebrities who supported his 2020 campaign rival, Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump, in his rant, claimed that pop superstar Beyonce received $11 million for endorsing Harris during the election race, although he provided no evidence to substantiate this claim.
Trump’s accusations extended beyond Beyonce, as he alleged that other high-profile celebrities—such as Bruce Springsteen, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono—had been paid large sums to publicly back Harris. He called these payments illegal campaign contributions, suggesting that they were a form of endorsement-for-payment that violated campaign laws.
According to Trump, in a rally held by Harris in late October, Beyonce was allegedly paid $11 million to make a brief appearance, endorse Harris, and leave without performing a song. “Beyonce was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, citing unnamed “news reports” as the source of this information.
Trump’s comments came six months after he defeated Harris in the 2024 election, which led to his second term as President. In his post, he announced plans to call for a “major investigation” into what he described as payments disguised as “entertainment fees” but which he believes were intended as illegal contributions to Harris’s campaign.
“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” Trump said.
Harris’s campaign had indeed courted celebrity support during the 2020 election, with major figures like Beyonce, Winfrey, and Springsteen lending their names and appearances to her rallies. Winfrey defended a $1 million payment to her production company to cover costs for a rally event in which Harris participated. However, Harris’s team has consistently denied rumors that Beyonce was paid for her appearance.
Trump’s accusations about payments to celebrities were part of a broader narrative he shared in his social media posts. He also questioned the motivations behind Springsteen’s appearance at a rally in Georgia, writing, “How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?”
Trump and Springsteen have been vocal critics of each other. The rock icon recently criticized the Trump administration while performing in the UK, leading Trump to call Springsteen “Highly Overrated” on Truth Social. Springsteen, a staunch liberal, had supported Harris after she replaced President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate following his abandonment of his reelection bid.
As the controversy over celebrity endorsements continues, Trump’s call for an investigation highlights ongoing tensions surrounding campaign financing and celebrity influence in politics.
