President Donald Trump has accused Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen and extra stars of taking part in an “unlawful election rip-off” run by Kamala Harris‘ marketing campaign throughout the 2024 election, with the billionaire calling for a “main investigation” into their allegedly “corrupt” endorsements of the previous VP.
In two Reality Social posts from the early hours of Monday (Could 19), Trump first accused the Boss — whom the POTUS additionally referred to as “extremely overrated” and “dumb as a rock” just some days prior — of illegally accepting an undisclosed cost to look at one in all Harris’ rallies final yr earlier than lumping the “Texas Maintain ‘Em” singer, in addition to Oprah Winfrey and U2’s Bono, into the alleged scheme. “HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump began. “WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS?”
“ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION? WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO???” he continued early Monday morning. “I’m going to name for a serious investigation into this matter. Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, beneath the guise of paying for leisure. As well as, this was a really costly and determined effort to artificially construct up her sparse crowds.”
“IT’S NOT LEGAL!” Trump added. “For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was only a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL approach to capitalize on a damaged system.”
In a follow-up post about seven hours later, Trump doubled down on his claims. “Based on information reviews, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to stroll onto a stage, shortly ENDORSE KAMALA, and stroll off to loud booing for by no means having carried out, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!” he wrote. “Keep in mind, the Democrats and Kamala illegally paid her thousands and thousands of {Dollars} for doing nothing aside from giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT. THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! IT IS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!”
When that 11-million determine first surfaced final yr and made the rounds on social media, fact check organizations discovered no proof to assist the declare. Billboard has reached out to reps for Beyoncé, Springsteen and Bono for remark.
The president’s remarks come about three days after he first focused the “Born in the united statesA.” rocker shortly after Springsteen slammed Trump’s “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous” administration throughout a live performance in Manchester. Trump referred to as the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer a “pushy, obnoxious JERK” who “should KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT” on Friday (Could 16). That very same day, Trump additionally wrote that Taylor Swift is “not ‘HOT’” following her September endorsement of Harris and his subsequent “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” submit.
Springsteen was vocal in his assist of Harris all through the 2024 election, performing at rallies in Pennsylvania and Georgia in addition to showing in an advertisement supporting the Democratic politician’s marketing campaign. Beyoncé additionally appeared at a Harris rally in Houston, delivering a speech by which she asserted: “I’m not right here as a star. I’m not right here as a politician. I’m right here as a mom. A mom who cares, deeply, in regards to the world my youngsters and all of our youngsters stay in.”
An Irish citizen, Bono didn’t endorse a candidate within the 2024 U.S. election or take part in any marketing campaign occasions.
The E Avenue band chief and Future’s Little one alum had been simply two of many stars who backed Harris throughout the 2024 election, with Megan Thee Stallion, Dangerous Bunny, Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Cardi B, Eminem and extra throwing their assist behind the previous prosecutor’s marketing campaign. Finance records don’t present that any of them had been paid for his or her endorsements — one thing Harris would have wanted to reveal if that had been the case — and Harris’ marketing campaign has denied previously that it ever paid artists to carry out at occasions. “We’ve got by no means paid any artist and performer,” senior spokesperson Adrienne Elrod said to Deadline when rumors on the contrary first surfaced final yr. “We’ve got by no means paid a payment to that individual.”
Beyoncé’s camp has also denied that she accepted cost for her endorsement of Harris, as has the 35-time Grammy winner’s mom, Tina Knowles. “The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million {dollars} to talk at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris,” Knowles wrote on Instagram in November. “When In Truth : Beyonce didn’t obtain a penny for talking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’s Rally in Houston. The truth is she truly paid for her personal flights for her and her workforce, and complete Glam . They don’t seem to be solely mendacity and disrespecting Beyonce’s identify however they’re making an attempt to additional discredit the facility of our vice chairman! When does the lies and rumors cease?”
There may be document of Harris paying Bey’s manufacturing firm, Parkwood Manufacturing Media LLC, $165,000 after the Texas occasion; that cost can be in accordance with federal regulation, which prohibits companies from giving on to a candidate’s marketing campaign and mandates that campaigns reimburse the prices of enormous occasion manufacturing, in keeping with The Hill.