U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday, May 19, that he will launch a “major investigation” into Formal Vice President Kamala Harris over alleged campaign finance violations tied to celebrity endorsements during her 2024 presidential run. The announcement came via a post on Trump’s Truth Social platform, where he claimed Harris used campaign funds to pay entertainers for endorsements under the cover of “entertainment expenses.”
“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” Trump wrote. “I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter.”
Harris, who became the Democratic nominee after Joe Biden stepped down, drew support from top entertainment figures including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Bruce Springsteen during her campaign. While her team claimed the celebrity involvement was voluntary or properly compensated, questions have arisen over transparency and reporting.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company reportedly received $1 million for hosting a campaign event, a payment Harris’s team said covered event costs. They also denied a viral claim that Beyoncé was paid $10 million for her appearance at a rally, calling it false.
Federal campaign filings from Harris’s campaign listed only a $75 endorsement-related payment to an environmental group, sparking scrutiny over whether all celebrity-related transactions were properly disclosed.
Trump, who won the 2024 election, received little backing from mainstream celebrities but had vocal support from conservative figures like Joe Rogan. In his posts, Trump specifically questioned the payments made to Bruce Springsteen, who supported Harris and recently criticized Trump in a concert, calling his administration “corrupt and treasonous.”
Trump fired back, calling Springsteen “highly overrated,” while questioning, “How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign?”
The controversy adds a new chapter to the ongoing tensions between Trump and Hollywood and could trigger formal inquiries into Harris’s campaign finances.