Trump, stuck on Beyoncé-Springsteen hype for Harris, wants 'major investigation' on celebrity endorsements
In a pair of posts shared to his Truth Social platform Sunday night and Monday morning, Trump criticized several celebrities who publicly endorsed Harris in her months-long bid. Among the stars fueling the former "Apprentice" host's ire were Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Oprah and Bono. In his caps-lock-laden tirades, Trump accused the Harris camp of illegally paying Springsteen, Beyoncé and other stars to appear at campaign events and throw their support behind the Biden-era VP.
"I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter," Trump wrote on Sunday, before accusing Harris and her team of paying for endorsements "under the guise of paying for entertainment."
Read more: Bruce Springsteen speaks out on Trump again: 'They're persecuting people for their right to free speech'
Beyoncé, Springsteen and the other stars singled out by Trump each touted their support for Harris during various stops on her campaign trail. The "Alien Superstar" singer backed Harris when the candidate stopped by the pop star's home state of Texas in late October. The Boss campaigned for Harris in Georgia that same week.
Trump shared his first post, which also accused Harris of artificially beefing up "her sparse crowds" and criticized "these unpatriotic 'entertainers,'" Sunday at around 10:30 p.m. Clearly, he could not shake off his gripes after a night's rest because on Monday morning, he doubled down.
Monday at 6:11 a.m., Trump further slammed Beyoncé, citing unidentified "news reports" that alleged the Grammy winner was paid $11 million to endorse his opponent: "AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL." A representative for Beyoncé did not immediately respond on Monday to The Times' request for comment.
Read more: President Trump tees off on '60 Minutes' again, threatens CBS broadcast licenses
He said the stars he named, "AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!"
Trump — who has the backing of musicians including Kid Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus — last week also aimed at Taylor Swift, suggesting in a Truth Social post on Friday that the "Cruel Summer" singer's popularity has declined since he declared "I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT" in September 2024. Swift publicly endorsed Harris for president.
The president railed against the music stars after his four-day visit to the Middle East. . When he returned to Washington on Friday, Trump also shared his opinions on "Highly Overrated Bruce Springsteen," who criticized the "incompetent and treasonous administration" during a May 14 concert in Manchester, England. "This dried out 'prune' of a rocker (his skin is all atrophied!) ought to KEEP HIS MOUTH SHUT until he gets back into the Country, that's just 'standard fare,'" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Read more: Hollywood's reaction to Trump's movie tariffs idea: Confusion, dread and a little hope
"Then we'll all see how it goes for him!" he added.
The "Born in the USA" rocker fired back at Trump on Saturday. 'In my home, they're persecuting people for their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. That's happening now,' Springsteen said.
A transcript of Springsteen's full monologue, an introduction to "My City of Ruins," can be found on his website.
Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Emmy-Winning Journalist Claims CBS Forced Her Out For Being White In DEI Push
A former long-time Boston television anchor is suing CBS and its parent company, Paramount Global, claiming that she was forced out of her job to make way for the media giant's DEI quotas. Katherine Merrill Dunham, better known to viewers as Kate Merrill, claims network executives were worried that WBZ-TV was becoming 'too white,' and chose to sideline her after more than two decades as an anchor at the station, according to court documents. The Emmy Award–winning broadcaster filed her legal complaint against CBS earlier this month, saying she was demoted, humiliated in front of colleagues, and eventually pressured to resign – all under the guise of CBS's 'DEI agenda.' According to the lawsuit, Merrill's troubles escalated when a black co-worker, meteorologist Jason Mikell, allegedly made a sexually charged remark about her on-air but faced no consequences. When Merrill raised concerns, she was hit with accusations of 'racial bias' from Mikell and another anchor. Paramount would go on to later discipline her for so-called 'microaggressions' and ordered her to undergo 'unconscious bias training,' per The New York Post. The following day, Merrill claimed the company leaders at her news station announced her demotion. Merrill insists she was the victim of malicious and false allegations. 'WBZ-TV exploited such policies and took career-ending action against Ms. Merrill to advance a DEI agenda,' her filing states. She also says minority colleagues were spared discipline for serious misconduct while she was labeled a racist and pushed out. CBS has had a contentious past connected to racially motivated practices. The lawsuit goes on to reference a past report alleging that former CBS News President Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews promoted minority employees while pushing white journalists to the sidelines. Ciprian-Matthews allegedly became the focus of a six-month internal investigation by Paramount Global's human resources department over claims of biased hiring and workplace practices. She has since stepped down from her role as CBS News President. Paramount itself quietly scrapped its DEI programs earlier this year after mounting public backlash and regulatory pressure from the Trump administration. Merrill's contract runs until June 2025, during which time he is reportedly unable to work at another station. She is seeking damages for lost wages and harm to her reputation, claiming she has been financially and professionally devastated after more than 20 years dedicated to Boston's breaking news. Solve the daily Crossword
Boston Globe
22 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Why Trump continues to lie about the 2020 presidential election
The right results were given in 2020. Trump lost. But nearly five years later, whenever Trump speaks, the question isn't whether he'll find a way to switch the conversation to the 2020 election but when. Given his tendency to babble about inconsequential subjects, it's tempting to dismiss Trump's off-script ramblings. But don't overlook the method behind the madness here. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up From Trump's Advertisement That's what he's doing every time he repeats the Big Lie about 2020. He upholds it as an example of a dishonest election stolen from the people despite no evidence of widespread fraud in that presidential contest. Trump lost because American voters had enough of him. Advertisement The president's motives are clear. He needs Republicans to hold on to the House in 2026 because he knows that if Democrats regain control they'll start impeachment hearings against him as soon as possible. For all his big talk about big wins in his second term, Trump knows that voters, For years, Trump undermined election integrity. As the 2016 presidential contest entered its final weeks, he falsely claimed that the election was This was Trump's hedge against a possible defeat: He could only lose an election if it was rigged against him. Of course, all of his machinations after he lost in 2020 supercharged his baseless allegations, culminating in the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when he attempted to overthrow the outcome of the presidential election. But despite Trump's impeachment for incitement, he hasn't stopped promoting the antidemocratic lie that he was robbed and that election integrity must be restored, while he's doing everything to destroy it. That includes Trump's latest attempt to end mail-in voting by Advertisement Mail-in balloting garnered widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. According to a Trump remains unswayed. He Seven months into his Trump uses 2020 as a phony example of a crooked election. That's why he brings it up as often as possible and usually in places where he receives no pushback. But the voters he's targeting should also remember 2020 as the year when a historic number of people, despite a pandemic, cast their ballots and tossed this tyrant out of power. Renée Graham is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at
The Hill
22 minutes ago
- The Hill
Zelensky gives Trump a golf putter
President Trump is putting a new flat stick in his golf bag, courtesy of a Ukrainian soldier who shares his love for the game and delivered by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky presented Trump with a new blade-style putter during his visit to The White House on Monday. The Ukrainian leader told the president that the club was given to him by Kostiantyn Kartavtsev, a junior sergeant in Ukraine's Armed Forces. The solider lost a leg in the first months of Russia's full-scale invasion, according to the Ukrainian government, noting golf became part of Kartavtsev's rehabilitation and helped him regain balance 'both physically and mentally.' Trump recorded a video for the Ukrainian fighter thanking him for the gift. 'I just watched you swing, I know a lot about golf, and your swing is great. You're going to be a very good golfer soon,' he told the soldier in the clip making the rounds online with Ukrainian subtitles. 'I want to thank you for this putter … is made with real love from you.' The president encouraged the Ukrainian soldier to keep playing golf and said he and Zelensky are working 'very, very hard to bring your country back to health.' 'The putter is beautiful, thank you. Every time I sink a putt I'll be thinking about you,' he quipped. Zelensky traveled to Washington to meet with Trump and European leaders as the U.S. helps to facilitate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia amid the ongoing war in Eastern Europe. An avid golfer who owns courses and resorts around the world, Trump was in Scotland earlier this month for the grand opening of his newest property at Turnberry. The PGA Tour also announced Tuesday that it would return to the president's Doral resort in Florida next May, marking the first time the sport's premier league has held an event at a Trump property since 2016.
