Trump proposes legal action against Beyoncé for alleged monetary support of Harris' campaign

In a recent post on his Truth Social account, former President Donald Trump accused pop icon Beyoncé of receiving an $11 million payment for endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid. However, a search of the Federal Election Commission (FEC) records and various news outlets has turned up no evidence to support this claim.

The original article appeared on USA TODAY, which reported that Trump made this allegation on July 26, 2022. This is not the first time Trump has accused celebrities of being paid to support Harris' candidacy. In a May post on Truth Social, he also accused Oprah Winfrey and civil rights activist Al Sharpton of receiving endorsement payments from the Democrats.

Beyoncé made her endorsement of Harris official at a rally in Houston, Texas in October 2020. At the time, there was no record of an $11 million payment from Harris' presidential campaign to Beyoncé at the FEC. Similarly, Oprah Winfrey stated that she was not paid a 'personal fee' for her appearance at a Kamala Harris rally.

Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, denied the $10 million rumor in a November 2024 Instagram post. During her October 2024 appearance at Harris' rally, Beyoncé said "I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother."

The Harris campaign previously rejected a rumor that it paid Beyoncé $10 million for her endorsement. The song "Freedom" by Beyoncé became Harris' official campaign song, and the singer gifted tickets to Harris for the tour outside of Washington, D.C.

USA TODAY reached out to a representative for Beyoncé for comment, but as of this writing, no response has been received. Harris has long been a fan of Beyoncé and attended the singer's Renaissance World Tour in 2023.

Trump announced plans for a "major investigation" into the Harris campaign's celebrity endorsements in his May post, but it remains unclear whether such an investigation has taken place or if any evidence has been found to support his allegations. In the meantime, the lack of evidence has cast doubt on the veracity of Trump's claims.