Mediaite: Trump Calls for the Prosecutions of Kamala Harris, Beyonce and Oprah in Shocking Post: ‘YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT!’

President Donald Trump is calling for former Vice President Kamala HarrisBeyonceOprah, and Rev. Al Sharpton to be criminally prosecuted for alleged campaign finance violations.

In a shocking post to Truth Social late Saturday, the president accused Beyonce, Oprah and Sharpton of improperly taking money from the Harris campaign.

Here is Trump’s post in full:

“I’m looking at the large amount of money owed by the Democrats, after the Presidential Election, and the fact that they admit to paying, probably illegally, Eleven Million Dollars to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note, and left the stage to a booing and angry audience!), Three Million Dollars for “expenses,” to Oprah, Six Hundred Thousand Dollars to very low rated TV “anchor,” Al Sharpton (a total lightweight!), and others to be named for doing, absolutely NOTHING! These ridiculous fees were incorrectly stated in the books and records. YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO. Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out! Kamala, and all of those that received Endorsement money, BROKE THE LAW. They should all be prosecuted! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

It is unclear where Trump obtained those figures. Campaign finance records show Beyonce’s production company, Parkwood Entertainment, was paid $165,000 for her appearance at an Oct. 26 rally in Houston. Tina Knowles, Beyonce’s mother, called the claim that her daughter was paid eight figures “a lie.” Records also show Oprah’s production company — Harpo Productions — was given $1 million to put together a live-streamed town hall in Michigan. Sharpton’s National Action Network was paid $500,000, according to records, for get out the vote initiatives. Campaign finance law dictates that are required to pay the fair-market value for event costs.

Still, this is not the first time Trump has floated these accusations — though it is the first time he’s calling for criminal prosecutions. Back in December, Trump wrote, “Are the Democrats allowed to pay $11,000,000, $2,000,000, and $500,000 to get the ENDORSEMENT of Beyoncé, Oprah, and Reverend Al? I don’t think so! Beyoncé didn’t sing, Oprah didn’t do much of anything (she called it “expenses”), and Al is just a third rate Con Man. So what is going on here??? Totally against the law, and I have heard there are many others!!!”

Then in May, he added Bruce Springsteen and Bono to the list — though a records search showed neither man nor any related entities received payouts from the Harris campaign, and Bono didn’t even endorse her.

“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “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.”

Would somebody please check King Donald into a memory care unit?

MSNBC: Trump’s attacks on Springsteen and Oprah aren’t legally sound. That’s not the point.

What history can tell us about celebrity campaign endorsements — and their impact.

Nothing seems to incite angry social media posts from President Trump quite like criticism from celebrities. And while celebrities in 2025 seem less interested in feuding with the volatile president, Bruce Springsteen did manage to poke the bear with an unsparing speech delivered before a May 14 concert in Manchester.

The president noticed. On Truth Social, Trump called Springsteen “a pushy, obnoxious JERK” with “atrophied skin.” But the pettiness didn’t stop with dermatological insults. In the early hours of May 19, Trump escalated even further, implying without evidence that Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign paid Springsteen and other stars, including Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, for their performances at campaign events, which was a “MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION.” He proclaimed his intention to “call for a major investigation into this matter.” 

Springsteen isn’t backing down in the wake of Trump’s stream of attacks, and musicians like Neil Young and Eddie Vedder have since come to his defense. The doubling and tripling down is so far mostly symbolic. But could Trump really investigate celebrity endorsements?

I don’t think so. Celebrities typically do not get paid for making endorsements. According to the Federal Election Commission, candidates can pay for endorsements as long as they are listed as a campaign expenditure. The Harris campaign has denied paying celebrities directly, claiming that any money sent to Winfrey ($1 million), Beyoncé ($165,000) and others are event production expenses paid out in accordance with federal election law.

“Usually I am reluctant to respond to rumors in general, but these days I realize that if you don’t stop a lie, it gets bigger. I was not paid a dime,” Winfrey said in video response to the Trump post….

Tina Knowles issued a similar denial last year when the same rumors circulated about her daughter: “The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’ Rally in Houston.”

https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-truth-social-springsteen-oprah-beyonce-campaign-fraud-rcna208260