Trump Demands Federal Probe into Alleged Kamala Harris Celebrity Endorsement Payments
In a fiery series of Truth Social posts, President Donald Trump has called for a “major investigation” into Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign, accusing her team of illegally paying celebrities under the guise of event production.
Trump specifically targeted Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen, and Bono, claiming the Harris campaign funneled money to their companies for so-called “entertainment expenses” that he argues were actually unlawful campaign contributions.
“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” Trump wrote. “This is an illegal election scam at the highest level.”
Alleged Payments Spark Political Controversy
Campaign finance documents show that Oprah Winfrey’s production company received $1 million for a televised town hall event, and Beyoncé’s company was paid $165,000 for production-related services. Trump, however, claims Beyoncé received $11 million simply for a brief appearance endorsing Harris — without performing.
The Harris campaign swiftly denied the accusations, clarifying that:
-
No payments were made for celebrity endorsements.
-
The financial transactions were strictly for production and staffing expenses.
-
Oprah Winfrey confirmed her payment covered only production services, not personal income.
-
Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, added that her daughter “covered her own expenses” and “was not compensated” for endorsing Harris.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), candidates can compensate individuals or companies for services — including event production — as long as those expenses are properly reported.
“There is currently no evidence of any campaign finance violations,” one FEC source told The Guardian. “Paying a celebrity’s production team is not illegal if properly documented and not directly tied to an endorsement.”
Trump’s demand for a probe comes as his own campaign benefited from celebrity supporters like Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and Hulk Hogan, many of whom performed at his events. Critics call his Harris accusations hypocritical and politically motivated, especially with no hard evidence of illegality.
