President-elect Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday to claim that celebrities who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris were paid for the endorsements.
Trump wrote:
Are the Democrats allowed to pay $11,000,000, $2,000,000, and $500,000 to get the ENDORSEMENT of Beyoncé, Oprah, and Reverend Al? I don’t think so! Beyoncé didn’t sing, Oprah didn’t do much of anything (she called it “expenses”), and Al is just a third rate Con Man. So what is going on here??? Totally against the law, and I have heard there are many others!!!
It’s unclear where Trump’s exact figures stem from, but there is no evidence Oprah Winfrey, Beyonce, or Al Sharpton were paid specifically for endorsements, though some payments from the Harris campaign have raised red flags with critics.
Federal Election Commission filings show that $1 million was paid to Winfrey’s Harpo Productions during the campaign. Winfrey denied rumors of any payment for an endorsement and the Harris campaign noted that any payments surrounding celebrities is for “for any ancillary costs for that performance.” Federal Election Commission rules require that campaigns pay fair market value for ancillary cost tied to performances.
“We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer,” a spokesperson for the Harris campaign said in November.
Beyonce endorsed Harris and performed for her in Houston during the campaign, but there has been no confirmation of rumors she was actually paid millions and any costs associated with the performance would likely be chalked up to ancillary costs surrounding the event.
Beyonce’s mother, Tina Knowles, flat-out shot down rumors of any sort of payment to her daughter, insisting the musician fronted much of the cost for her own team herself.
Two $250,000 to Sharpton just before he sat down for an interview with Harris also received some blowback from critics. The payments were made to Sharpton’s National Action Network. While his network MSNBC said they were “unaware” of the exchange, the payments were officially made as part of a larger get out the vote effort.
