Trump threatens to have Bono ‘investigated'

Sunday World

20-05-2025

'Bruce Springsteen, Oprah, Bono and, perhaps, many others, have a lot of explaining to do'
Bono has found himself in Donald Trump's sights as the American President threatened to have the singer 'investigated'.
Taking to Truth Social, President Trump said he would have the U2 frontman investigated as he also singled out other celebrities, including Beyoncé and Bruce Springsteen, who endorsed Kamala Harris in the last election.
In an early-morning rant, Trump posted: 'How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for president?' in all capital letters.
President Trump
'Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers? Isn't that a major and illegal campaign contribution? And how much went to Oprah, and Bono???'
He said he would 'call for a major investigation' into the issue, as he claimed Ms Harris was illegally paying for endorsements 'under the guise of paying for entertainment'.
He stormed that these efforts artificially boosted her campaign and crowds.
Bono
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'it's not legal! for these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a corrupt & unlawful way to capitalize on a broken system,' Mr Trump wrote.
Mr Trump also alleged that Beyoncé was paid $ 11 million to walk on stage and endorse Ms Harris without performing.
'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!!!' he wrote.
Bono who was previously awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Joe Biden, has been a public supporter of the Democratic Party for many years and
While he did not formally endorse anyone in 2024, according g to Irish Central, Bono has previously made his criticism of Trump known.
In 2016, about a month before Trump was ultimately elected over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Bono accused the Republican candidate of 'running off with the American dream'.
He more recently said that US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the world's richest man, are squandering the potential of millions of people by making huge cuts to US foreign aid spending, "with glee, it would appear".
He added that it was an unwise policy - as well as "the definition of the absence of love".
Trump did not cite what "news reports" he was referring to regarding Beyoncé's alleged $11 million pay-out.
FactCheck.org reported in November, after the election, that it had found no evidence that the Harris campaign paid for celebrity endorsements
Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles similarly hit out at claims that her daughter was paid for endorsing Harris.
"The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris," Knowles wrote on Instagram on November 16.
"When In Fact : Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris's Rally in Houston.
"In fact she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team, and total Glam."
Springsteen, meanwhile, openly criticised Mr Trump's administration as 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous' while performing in the UK.
The President hot back by attacking Springsteen on social media, describing him as a 'dried out 'prune' of a rocker''
'I never liked him, never liked his music or his Radical Left Politics,' he wrote.
Mr Trump has also slammed Taylor Swift, one of the most successful musical artists of all time after she encouraged her millions of fans to vote for Ms Harris.
'Has anyone noticed that, since I said 'I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT', she's no longer 'HOT?'' the president posted online.