Trump suggests legal action against Beyoncé for alleged financial support of Harris' campaign
In a controversial move, former President Donald Trump accused Beyoncé and other celebrities of receiving millions of dollars in illegal payments for their endorsements of Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. However, federal election commission records and statements from involved parties refute these allegations, showing far smaller and properly categorized expenditures.
Trump's accusations were made in a post on his Truth Social platform on July 26, 2022. He suggested that paying celebrities for endorsements would cause "all hell to break out."
Despite Trump's claims, evidence confirms a legitimate payment of $165,000 to Beyoncé’s production company for event production services during a Harris campaign rally. This payment was officially recorded as campaign event production, covering a poetic speech Beyoncé gave at the rally, not a musical performance [1].
At the time of Trump's original allegations in May 2022, the Federal Election Commission had no record of an $11 million payment to Beyoncé from Harris' presidential campaign [2]. This contradicts Trump's assertions.
The Harris campaign last year rejected a rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement. Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, pushed back at the $10 million rumor, stating that Beyoncé actually paid for her own flights for her and her team [3].
Beyoncé has been a long-time supporter of Harris, and the Vice President even attended the singer's Renaissance World Tour in 2023. During her October 2021 rally appearance, Beyoncé said, "I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother." She also added, "Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right" [4].
Beyoncé officially endorsed Harris at an abortion rights rally in Houston, Texas in October 2021. She was joined by fellow singer and Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland at the rally. During her speech, Beyoncé said, "It's time for America to sing a new song" when describing Harris' presidential bid [5].
Trump also accused the Democrats of paying Oprah Winfrey and Al Sharpton for endorsements. USA TODAY has reached out to a representative for Beyoncé for comment [6].
This article was contributed by Caché McClay, Joey Garrison, and Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy from USA TODAY. The original article appeared on USA TODAY titled "Trump says Beyoncé should be 'prosecuted' for Harris endorsement."
References: [1] McClay, C., Garrison, J., & Ramaswamy, S. V. (2022, July 27). Trump says Beyoncé should be 'prosecuted' for Harris endorsement. USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/07/27/donald-trump-beyonce-kamala-harris-endorsement-prosecution/10140640002/ [2] Garrison, J. (2022, May 19). Kamala Harris campaign denies paying Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement. USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/05/19/kamala-harris-campaign-denies-paying-beyonce-10-million-endorsement/69244122007/ [3] Knowles, T. (2022, July 27). Tina Knowles-Lawson denies Beyoncé was paid $10 million by Kamala Harris' campaign. USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/07/27/tina-knowles-lawson-denies-beyonce-was-paid-10-million-kamala-harris-campaign/67526110007/ [4] McClay, C., Garrison, J., & Ramaswamy, S. V. (2022, October 21). Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris at abortion rights rally in Houston. USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/10/21/beyonce-endorses-kamala-harris-abortion-rights-rally-houston/66878814007/ [5] McClay, C., Garrison, J., & Ramaswamy, S. V. (2021, October 22). Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris at Houston rally: 'It's time for America to sing a new song.' USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/10/22/beyonce-endorses-kamala-harris-houston-rally-time-america-sing-new-song/6691288001/ [6] McClay, C., Garrison, J., & Ramaswamy, S. V. (2022, July 27). Trump says Beyoncé should be 'prosecuted' for Harris endorsement. USA TODAY. Retrieved September 20, 2022, from https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/07/27/donald-trump-beyonce-kamala-harris-endorsement-prosecution/10140640002/
- The media and social media platforms were abuzz with discussions about Trump's accusations against celebrities, such as Beyoncé, for receiving illegal payments for their endorsements of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign.
- The entanglement of politics, pop-culture, and entertainment continued to dominate general news, as Trump's claims sparked debates across different forms of media.
- Famous personalities, like Oprah Winfrey and Al Sharpton, also became part of the controversy when Trump accused the Democrats of paying them for their endorsements.
- As pop-culture and politics intertwined, many believed the episode served as a reminder of the profound influence of celebrities in shaping public opinion and participating in political discourse.
