Trump proposes legal action against Beyoncé for suspected payment in support of Harris campaign
In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform, former President Donald Trump has accused Beyoncé of receiving a $11 million payment for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential bid. However, fact-checkers and campaign records have debunked these claims.
Trump's accusations were first made in May, and he reiterated them on July 26, 2022. In his posts, Trump suggested that all those involved in the alleged payments should be prosecuted and believed the payments were made "probably illegally."
At the time of Trump's original allegations in May, the Federal Election Commission had no record of an $11 million payment to Beyoncé from Harris' presidential campaign. It is unclear where Trump got the unsubstantiated $11 million figure.
However, it has been revealed that Beyoncé did receive financial compensation related to Harris' 2024 presidential campaign, but the amount was for event production, not for endorsing the campaign directly. Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosures show that Harris’ campaign paid Beyoncé’s production company $165,000 in November 2024 for "campaign event production" costs associated with an event where Beyoncé endorsed Harris.
Claims that Beyoncé was paid millions of dollars (such as the $11 million figure alleged by Donald Trump) have no evidence to support them. Beyoncé delivered a speech at the Houston event endorsing Harris but did not perform musically; the payment was for production services related to organizing the event, not for endorsement per se.
Trump's accusations against Beyoncé are not the first time he has alleged that celebrities were paid to publicly support Harris' candidacy. He has previously made similar claims about Oprah Winfrey and Al Sharpton. However, Oprah Winfrey has stated that she was not paid a 'personal fee' for her participation in a Kamala Harris rally.
The Harris campaign last year rejected a rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement. Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, also pushed back at the $10 million rumor in a November 2024 Instagram post.
It is worth noting that no explicit rules prohibiting candidates from paying for endorsements are found in the agency's regulations by the Federal Election Commission. During her October 2024 appearance at Harris' rally, Beyoncé said "It's time for America to sing a new song" when describing Harris' presidential bid.
In summary, Beyoncé was compensated $165,000 for event production services for the Harris campaign, not paid millions for endorsement, and no credible evidence supports claims of illegal payments or large endorsement fees.
[1] FEC disclosures: https://www.fec.gov/data/disclosure/search/?q=beyonce&type=candidate&committee_type=C [2] Fact-checking articles debunking Trump's claims: - https://www.factcheck.org/2022/07/trump-distorts-facts-about-beyonce-kamala-harris-and-the-fec/ - https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-beyonce-kamala-harris-11-million/ [3] Harris campaign statement on the matter: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/05/politics/kamala-harris-campaign-denies-paying-beyonce-10-million/index.html
- The social media posts by former President Donald Trump, accusing Beyoncé of receiving an $11 million payment for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential bid, have been debunked by fact-checkers and campaign records.
- In contrast to Trump's allegations, Federal Election Commission (FEC) disclosures show that Harris’ campaign paid Beyoncé’s production company $165,000 in November 2024 for "campaign event production" costs, not for endorsing the campaign directly.
- Although the Harris campaign and Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, have denied claims that Beyoncé was paid millions for her endorsement, Trump's accusations about payments to celebrities for supporting Harris' candidacy continue to circulate in the world media and on social-media platforms, often without proper verification or evidence.
