President Donald Trump on Saturday called for the prosecution of former Vice President Kamala Harris and celebrities Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Al Sharpton over payments made during the 2024 election cycle, alleging the funds were illegal endorsement payments.
The statement came in a Truth Social post during Trump’s visit to the United Kingdom.
“YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PAY FOR AN ENDORSEMENT. IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL TO DO SO,” Trump wrote.
Accusations of Illegal Payments
Trump pointed to millions in payments made to the celebrities’ companies by the Harris campaign and its affiliates:
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$165,000 paid to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment for an October 26 rally in Houston
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$1 million to Harpo Productions for an Oprah-hosted livestream in Michigan
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$500,000 to Al Sharpton’s National Action Network
Trump cited higher, unconfirmed figures in his post:
“Eleven Million Dollars to singer Beyoncé for an ENDORSEMENT (she never sang, not one note…); Three Million Dollars to Oprah; Six Hundred Thousand Dollars to very low rated TV ‘anchor,’ Al Sharpton.”
“They should all be prosecuted!”
Repeated Claims
Trump has raised these allegations multiple times since late 2023, accusing Harris’ campaign of paying celebrities for public support. In May, he also questioned whether Bruce Springsteen and Bono were similarly compensated.
“Can you imagine what would happen if politicians started paying for people to endorse them. All hell would break out,” Trump added.
Denials from the Left
The Harris campaign previously denied paying for endorsements. Representatives said the money covered event production fees, not direct endorsements.
Beyoncé’s mother publicly rejected the $11 million claim.
Winfrey said she was “not paid a dime”, and that only production expenses were covered.
Big-Money Campaigns
Despite the controversy, Harris’ 2024 campaign raised massive funds:
Trump, by comparison, raised:
