Along with prominent individuals like Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Rev. Al Sharpton, President Donald Trump went to Truth Social on Saturday to call for the prosecution of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to USA Today, Trump claimed in a lengthy tweet that Harris’ campaign had broken campaign finance regulations by paying the celebrities illegally in return for their endorsements.
“I’m looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats, after the Presidential Election,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO.”
He added, “Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them? All hell would break out.”
Harris came under fire during the 2024 election cycle for paying Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Entertainment, $165,000 for her participation in a rally in Houston in October.
According to other documents, Rev. Sharpton’s National Action Network received $500,000 and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions received $1 million for planning a livestreamed event in Michigan, according to Deadline.
In his social media post, Trump, however, quoted larger numbers that were not supported by publicly available data.
He alleged that Beyoncé received $11 million “for an endorsement,” while claiming Oprah was paid $3 million and Sharpton $600,000, branding him “a total lightweight,” according to CNN. Trump emphasized that Beyoncé “never sang, not one note,” and said she was booed off stage.
“They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump wrote.
In the past, the Harris team has disputed that any of the celebrities received payment for their endorsements. According to The Independent, Beyoncé’s mother has also publicly denied rumors that her daughter received $11 million, while Winfrey has said that she “was not paid a dime” to take part, claiming that only the costs of production were paid.
Since late 2023, Trump has made similar claims several times. In May, he brought up the subject once more when he inquired about the compensation that Harris’ team gave to Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Winfrey, and Beyoncé.
The majority of musicians that supported Harris chose to appear on video or make public remarks rather than perform at demonstrations, despite the support of celebrities.
The New York Times reports that Harris’ campaign was well-funded, having raised $1.15 billion domestically and received $843 million in outside funding. According to reports, Trump’s campaign raised $464 million, with $989 million coming from outside sources.
Trump made his most recent remarks while on a four-day trip to the UK.
Harris has not addressed the resurfaced accusations in public.
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