Former U.S. President Donald Trump has accused President Kamala Harris’s 2024 campaign of breaking election rules by allegedly paying top celebrities for endorsements disguised as “entertainment expenses.” Trump is now calling for a federal investigation into what he labeled “illegal campaign contributions.”
In a heated social media post on Monday, Trump attacked music icon Bruce Springsteen, questioning his talent and criticizing his appearance. This followed Springsteen’s remarks during a UK concert where he called Trump’s former administration “corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous.”
Trump didn’t stop there. He also mentioned Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono, claiming that the Harris campaign used large sums of money to pay for celebrity appearances in order to boost her campaign rallies.
“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE?” Trump wrote. “WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO???”
He further alleged that the payments were a “desperate effort” to inflate crowd numbers, adding,
“IT’S NOT LEGAL! This was a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system.”
Responding to the claims, Oprah Winfrey confirmed that her production company received $1 million during the campaign but clarified that it covered production costs—not personal gain.
“I did not collect a personal fee,” Oprah stated. “The people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story.”
As of now, the Harris campaign has not issued an official response. However, the controversy is expected to intensify political tensions as the 2028 campaign season approaches.
Trump’s demand for a formal investigation may raise legal and ethical questions surrounding celebrity influence in politics—an issue that could shape future campaign finance regulations in the U.S.
