Trump accuses Harris of 'illegal' payments to celebrities, calling for 'major investigation'
US president claims performers received 'illegal' payments for endorsements during election campaign
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump announced plans Monday to pursue a "major investigation" into "illegal" payments to celebrities who endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 race.
"HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "ISN'T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?"
Trump specifically targeted several high-profile figures such as Irish singer-songwriter Bono, American talk show host Oprah Winfrey and American rock singer Bruce Springsteen, and Beyonce. Quoting media reports, he said: "Beyoncé 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."
The US president alleged these payments constituted "AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL" and accused Harris's campaign of paying for endorsements "under the guise of paying for entertainment."
"Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did," Trump asserted. "For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system."
None of the accused celebrities immediately responded to Trump's allegations, though Winfrey earlier said she did not accept a "personal fee" for her Harris campaign event.
Harris's four-month presidential campaign featured numerous celebrity supporters, including performances by Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and endorsements from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and others.
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