President Donald Trump launched a series of attacks against multiple celebrities on his Truth Social platform, just hours before his scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The online messages primarily targeted Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono, with Trump claiming they received payment from former presidential candidate Kamala Harris for their endorsements during the 2024 election campaign.
In his late-night posts, as posted on TruthSocial, Trump specifically questioned how much Harris paid Springsteen for what he described as a “poor performance” during her campaign. As per MSNBC, he extended similar accusations toward Beyoncé, Oprah, and Bono, suggesting these endorsements constituted illegal campaign contributions. “IT’S NOT LEGAL!” Trump declared in all-capital letters, characterizing the celebrity support as “a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system.”
The president returned to the topic approximately eight hours later when he should have been preparing for discussions about the war in Ukraine, as reported by MSNBC. In this follow-up message, Trump claimed Beyoncé received $11,000,000 to appear on stage and endorse Harris without performing any songs, an appearance he alleged was met with “loud booing.” He concluded by asserting that Springsteen, Oprah, and Bono “HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!!!”
President calls for investigations amid diplomatic priorities
Trump’s fixation on celebrity endorsements extended beyond mere complaints as he announced intentions to launch “a major investigation into this matter.” He specifically alleged that Harris and Democratic candidates aren’t permitted to pay for endorsements, characterizing the celebrity appearances as attempts to “artificially build up her sparse crowds.”
This series of social media posts follows Trump’s previous comments about Springsteen while on a Middle East trip, where he also suggested that Taylor Swift is no longer “hot” due to his criticism of the pop star. The timing of these messages is notable as they occurred while the president was preparing for sensitive diplomatic discussions with Putin regarding tensions in Ukraine.
No evidence has emerged supporting Trump’s claims that Harris or her campaign paid celebrities for endorsements. The timing of these messages has raised concerns about the president’s focus on perceived personal vendettas against celebrities rather than critical international diplomacy, particularly given his characterization of himself as a “very stable genius.” With the Justice Department now led by an attorney general viewed by some as aligned with White House political priorities, questions remain about whether federal resources might actually be directed toward investigating celebrities criticized by the president.
Published: May 19, 2025 01:44 pm