Rather than focus on governing, President Donald Trump is demanding a “major investigation” into … celebrity endorsements.
In an all-caps meltdown on Truth Social early on Monday, Trump raged that former Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign must have illegally paid off stars like Beyoncé, Bono, Oprah, and Bruce Springsteen because they supported her over him.
“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump wrote. “WHY DID HE ACCEPT THAT MONEY IF HE IS SUCH A FAN OF HERS? ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION? WHAT ABOUT BEYONCÉ? …AND HOW MUCH WENT TO OPRAH, AND BONO???”
He kept going in a second post: “According to news reports, Beyoncé was paid $11,000,000 to walk onto a stage, quickly ENDORSE KAMALA, and walk off to loud booing for never having performed, NOT EVEN ONE SONG! … THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL!”
It’s an incredible use of time for the sitting president, especially one juggling various lawsuits, fears over tariff-induced inflation, and an international mess of his own making. But here he is, melting down about a woman who lost and the famous people who liked her more than him.
President Donald Trump
Trump’s tantrum seems to stem from actual payments Harris’ campaign made to celebrity-owned production companies during her brief run last year. Public filings show Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment received $165,000, while Oprah’s Harpo was paid $1 million to finance a rally.
However, none of that is shady. It’s just the cost of event production. Oprah’s and Beyoncé’s families have also denied being paid for endorsements.
“I was not paid a dime. My time and energy was my way of supporting the campaign,” Oprah wrote on Instagram last fall. Beyoncé’s mother echoed that, saying her daughter “did not receive a penny,” even though Harris often entered rallies to Beyoncé’s “Freedom.”
But Trump isn’t letting it go, possibly because star-studded events helped Harris generate energy and attention while his own rallies leaned on Kid Rock, who performed at the Republican National Convention. Not quite the same cultural pull.
Trump’s celebrity fixation isn’t new. He’s been going after Springsteen ever since the rock icon slammed his administration during an overseas concert. And Trump has repeatedly taken swipes at pop star Taylor Swift, most recently declaring she’s “no longer HOT”—his way of saying he’s jealous she fills stadiums. (Of course, she’s still very, very hot.)
That Trump’s still throwing tantrums about celebrity endorsements nearly six months after winning the election is absurd. Stars backed Harris because they saw what Trump was offering and wanted no part of it. His demand for a federal investigation into a defeated opponent because Beyoncé endorsed her is far from oversight—it’s full-blown grievance politics.
Trump loves to posture as an outsider who doesn’t need Hollywood. But he’s tried to woo famous friends too. The problem is that Conor McGregor and Kanye West don’t drive headlines like Oprah and Beyoncé do. That’s not a conspiracy. That’s taste.
And with everything else on his plate, from court cases to crises, it’s anyone’s guess why Trump keeps picking fights with celebrities instead of focusing on, you know, governing. But one thing’s clear: Nothing triggers Trump more than being left out by the cool kids.
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