Trump orders probe of Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, other celebrities over Kamala Harris endorsement

Trump orders probe of Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, other celebrities over Kamala Harris endorsement

United States President Donald Trump said Monday he would launch a “major investigation” into his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris over celebrities who backed her failed run for the White House.

“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for endorsements, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.

“I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter.”

Winfrey justified the Harris campaign’s $1 million payment to her production business to cover the costs of hosting the presidential contender.

Harris’s team, however, denied paying music superstar Beyoncé $10 million to attend a rally.

In its financial filings to an environmental advocacy group, the Harris campaign listed one endorsement-related expenditure of $75. Harris attempted to use celebrity endorsements from Beyoncé and Oprah Winfrey during the election campaign.

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Trump, who easily won the election, garnered little support from the entertainment sector as a whole but did tap into a certain subset of well-known, hypermasculine influencers, including podcast host Joe Rogan.

On Monday, the president targeted Beyoncé, Winfrey, and Bruce Springsteen, accusing Harris of paying the renowned rock artist to play at a Georgia rally weeks before the election.

“How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?” he wrote.

“Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers?”

Last week, Trump went to Truth Social to criticise Springsteen after the singer informed a British concert crowd that his country is now run by a “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration”.

In response, the 78-year-old Republican claimed the star, known as “the Boss”, is “highly overrated”.

Springsteen, an outspoken liberal critic of Trump, supported Harris after she replaced Democratic President Joe Biden in his failed reelection effort.

Trump orders probe of Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, other celebrities over Kamala Harris endorsement