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Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump accuses Harris of paying for celebrity endorsements after Springsteen jab
Donald Trump lit into former Vice President Kamala Harris overnight Sunday, claiming that she paid for high-profile celebrity endorsements in her presidential bid and calling for an investigation. Specifically, he called out Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono in a late-night rant on his Truth Social platform, claiming that Harris masked 'illegal' payments to them as entertainment fees. 'HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?' the president wrote in all caps. '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???' Bono, the Irish rock star, accepted a Presidential Medal of Freedom from then-President Joe Biden in January but did not publicly endorse Harris. Winfrey months ago shot down rumors that she was paid $1 million for hosting a 'United for America' virtual town hall last Sept. 19, saying she 'was not paid a dime' and that the money went directly to her Harpo Productions company to pay for the cost of putting on the event, in compliance with the law. Beyoncé sanctioned the Harris campaign's use of her song 'Freedom' and introduced the candidate at a Houston rally in October, but did not perform, telling the crowd, 'I'm here as a mother.' Trump claimed she was paid $11 million. Trump had already attacked Springsteen, calling him 'dumb as a rock' and a 'dried-out prune' after The Boss told U.K. fans that the U.S. government 'is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.' Trump himself has received his share of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Kid Rock, Amber Rose and Hulk Hogan, among others. _____
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Trump calls for ‘major investigation' into Springsteen, Oprah and Beyoncé over Kamala Harris campaign ties
President Donald Trump called for a 'major investigation' into several high-profile celebrity endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election, alleging the artists were illegally compensated for their support. In a flurry of early morning posts on Truth Social on Monday, May 19, the president accused Harris of orchestrating a scheme to disguise payments to entertainers as production expenses, a claim that targeted stars Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and Bono. 'I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter,' Trump wrote. 'Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!' The accusations followed a recent spike in tensions between the president and Springsteen, who denounced the Trump administration as 'corrupt, incompetent and treasonous' during a concert in Manchester, England, last week. Trump fired back, calling the musician 'not a talented guy' and a 'dried out 'prune' of a rocker.' He also warned the Boss to 'keep his mouth shut' until he gets back to the U.S. On Monday, he singled out Springsteen, accusing him of an 'illegal campaign contribution' during last year's election, without providing any evidence. 'HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?' Trump wrote. '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???' Trump appeared to grow more irate in his posts. 'According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!' Trump said, despite winning the election. 'Remember, the Democrats and Kamala illegally paid her millions of Dollars for doing nothing other than giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT. ' He switched his posts back to all-caps to continue: 'HIS 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!!!' Campaign finance records show that Harris's campaign paid $165,000 to Beyoncé's production company and $1 million to Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey's company, according to The Hill. Both camps have denied that any of the funds were personal payments for endorsements. 'I was not paid a dime. My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign,' Winfrey said on Instagram last fall. Despite the allegations, Trump himself has embraced celebrity endorsements throughout his political career, including from Kid Rock, Ye (the rapper formerly known as Kanye West) and other conservative-leaning entertainers. The Harris campaign has not issued an official response to the president's claims.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kamala Harris paid Beyoncé $11m for ‘illegal endorsement', Trump claims
Donald Trump has accused Kamala Harris of paying Beyoncé $11 million for an 'illegal' endorsement during the 2024 election. The US president called for a 'major investigation' into Mrs Harris's A-list endorsers claiming they were illegally compensated to publicly support her presidential bid. Singling out Beyoncé, Mr Trump said reports she was paid to appear on stage with Mrs Harris at a campaign rally in Houston was an 'illegal election scam at the highest level'. Beyoncé did not perform at the Houston event, unlike in 2016, when she sang at a campaign rally for Hillary Clinton in Cleveland. 'According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG!' Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. '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!!!' 'I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,' the president added. Mrs Harris, the vice-president at the time, enjoyed a stream of celebrity backers leading up to the November election. Weeks before the vote, Mrs Harris got an assist from music legend Stevie Wonder in Jonesboro, Georgia, who rallied churchgoers with a rendition of Bob Marley's 'Redemption Song.' Days later in Atlanta, she and Barack Obama, the former president, held a rally that featured a performance by Bruce Springsteen and speeches from famed filmmaker Spike Lee and actor Samuel L Jackson. The campaign followed that a day later with a rally in Texas featuring a performance by Willie Nelson and a speech from Beyoncé. Elsewhere, Oprah Winfrey also hosted a star-studded town hall for Mrs Harris near Detroit. The Harris campaign paid Beyoncé's production company $165,000 and gave $1 million to Winfrey's company Harpo Productions, according to campaign finance records. Winfrey claimed she did not receive 'any personal fee'. 'However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story,' she wrote on Instagram at the time. Meanwhile, Beyoncé's mother said the artist 'did not receive a penny' for her endorsements and slammed speculation that she had been paid millions to appear on stage. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Trump Calls for ‘Major Investigation' Into Kamala Endorsements From Springsteen, Beyoncé After The Boss Bashes President
Days after Bruce Springsteen slammed Donald Trump at a European concert, the president now says he's calling for a 'major investigation' into the Boss and other celebrities' endorsements of Kamala Harris, claiming without evidence that the Democratic nominee paid for their support. In a Truth Social post, Trump said: 'HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? 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??? I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!' Trump followed up the post by repeating the unfounded claim that Beyoncé was paid $11 million to appear onstage in Houston to endorse Harris, a claim that was refuted by Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles. 'The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris,' Tina wrote in November. 'When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris's Rally in Houston.' A similar rumor circulated about Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of Harris owing to the fact that Winfrey's Harpo Productions was paid for its services airing a fireside chat between Winfrey and Harris. As is required by campaign finance rules, the Harris campaign had to pay for the cost of the production. So why is Trump railing against endorsements for his opponent whom he beat seven months ago? It likely has something to do with what Springsteen said at a European concert venue last week, where the singer-songwriter opened his set by saying there was 'weird, strange, and dangerous s–t going on' back in America. Springsteen continued: 'The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times. In my home – the America I love, the America I've written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years – is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.' The post Trump Calls for 'Major Investigation' Into Kamala Endorsements From Springsteen, Beyoncé After The Boss Bashes President appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Demands Investigation Into Beyoncé and Three Other Major Stars
President Trump wants to investigate Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, and Oprah Winfrey. 'HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? 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??? I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter,' he wrote on Truth Social at 1:34 a.m. on Monday. 'Candidates aren't allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!' This is an incredibly useless thing to post so late at night. Trump is irked at Bruce Springsteen talking about how much he dislikes him on tour, so he goes on an unhinged rant calling for a Justice Department investigation that would do nothing for anyone, especially not anyone who actually needs help. It's rich to read a man who is making shady billion-dollar crypto deals and who just accepted a luxury jumbo jet from the Qatari government speak about what is 'CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL.' For what it's worth, the Harris campaign did come under scrutiny for making some large checks to the production companies of Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, especially after she was defeated so resoundingly. The Harris campaign paid $165,000 to Beyoncé's Parkwood Production Media LLC on November 19, and $1 million to Oprah's Harpo Productions.
