On May 20, 2025, President Donald Trump called for a “major investigation” into the celebrity endorsements that former Vice President Kamala Harris received during the 2024 presidential campaign.
In multiple posts on his Truth Social platform, Trump alleged, without evidence, that celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyoncé were illegally compensated for endorsing Harris.
Trump extended his criticism to others like U2’s Bono in some comments, although Bono is not among those confirmed to have been paid by Harris’ team.
“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” Trump wrote on social media. He argued that these payments aimed to inflate attendance numbers at her events.
Campaign finance records reveal that the Harris campaign made payments to production companies linked to these celebrities for services rendered during the 2024 campaign. According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings, the Harris campaign paid Winfrey’s Harpo Productions $1 million for “event production” on October 15, 2024. This payment followed Winfrey’s interview with Harris at a “Unite for America” event in Detroit, Michigan, in September.
The records also show Beyoncé’s company, Parkwood Production Media LLC, received $165,000 from the Harris campaign on November 19, 2024. This payment occurred weeks after Beyoncé appeared at a Harris rally in Houston, Texas, on October 25, 2024, where she endorsed the Democratic nominee.
FEC filings indicate the Harris campaign paid Springsteen’s Thrill Hill Productions, Inc., about $75,000 for “travel and event production” on November 19, 2024. This followed his performance at a Harris rally in Georgia in October 2024.
Both Winfrey and Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, who manages her daughter’s production firm, dismissed claims that the payments were for endorsements rather than production costs. Winfrey responded via social media, stating she received no personal payment. Knowles labeled the claims false, adding that Beyoncé covered her travel costs for attending the campaign event.
Springsteen has not commented on the payment to his company. However, he has criticized the Trump administration, labeling it “corrupt” and “treasonous” during a recent European concert. These remarks appeared to anger Trump, prompting him to criticize Springsteen on social media. On May 16, 2025, Trump called Springsteen “Highly Overrated” and “not a talented guy,” and accused him of being a “pushy, obnoxious JERK” who supported “Crooked Joe Biden.” Trump hinted at retribution, writing, “We’ll see how it goes for him when he comes back to the U.S.” This led to Trump’s investigation posts about Springsteen’s Harris endorsement.
Campaign law experts note that FEC regulations do not prohibit federal campaigns from compensating celebrities or influencers for endorsements, contrary to Trump’s claims. Experts state such payments are not deemed illegal contributions if disclosed correctly in campaign finance reports.
While the FEC governs campaign finance law, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) handles disclosure obligations for paid endorsements in commercial contexts. The FTC requires paid product endorsements to be clearly disclosed, though these rules pertain to commercial, not political, endorsements.
When questioned about celebrity payments during the campaign, senior Harris campaign adviser Adrienne Elrod told Deadline, “We do not pay. We have never paid any artists or performers. We have never paid a fee to that person.” Elrod added that FEC rules require campaigns to pay fair market value for event-related costs, and the campaign “followed religiously” all applicable laws.
Trump also claimed Beyoncé received $11 million for her endorsement, an amount much higher than the $165,000 reported in FEC filings. Beyoncé’s publicist described this claim as “beyond ridiculous” when similar rumors arose in November 2024.
There is no evidence to support the claim of an $11 million payment. The Harris campaign’s financial reports show no such expenditure, and certainly not to Beyoncé personally. The $10–11 million rumor seems to stem from misinformation circulating on social media and Fox News in November 2024, when Fox anchor Harris Faulkner incorrectly claimed on air that Harris paid Beyoncé $10 million, a figure that went viral. The Harris campaign quickly disproved those numbers.
The president’s investigation call comes amid ongoing tensions with celebrities who backed Harris in the 2024 campaign. Besides criticizing Springsteen, Trump disparaged Taylor Swift, who also endorsed Harris.
In September 2024, after Taylor Swift endorsed Harris, Trump posted on social media, “I hate Taylor Swift.” He labeled Swift overrated and claimed that “since I said ‘I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT,’ she’s no longer ‘HOT?’” Swift had humorously endorsed Harris, calling herself a “childless cat lady,” a term Trump-allied J.D. Vance used, which further irked Trump.
The FEC has not publicly addressed Trump’s investigation call, and it is unclear if a formal complaint has been filed. The White House has not elaborated on what form the investigation might take or which agency would conduct it.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump received endorsements from celebrities like Kid Rock, who performed at the Republican National Convention, and country singer Lee Greenwood. No records indicate that the Trump campaign or Trump’s entities paid these performers for their appearances.
Greenwood, whose song “God Bless the USA” is often played at Trump rallies, stated on social media that he had not been compensated by the Trump campaign or the Trump Organization for his appearances.
In summary, all available evidence and statements from those close to Winfrey and Beyoncé indicate neither star accepted a fee for endorsing Harris, and Springsteen has not suggested otherwise. Trump’s portrayal of these as illegal payments for endorsements lacks support from facts or those involved.
