Trump accused Harris’ celebrity endorsements of being “illegal”

On Monday, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to call out Springsteen and other celebrities who backed Harris during the presidential election, claiming the money raised amounted to “illegal” contributions.

“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT? 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??? I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter,” Trump said in the post.

“Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. IT’S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”

What did Springsteen say about Trump?

Springsteen’s recent criticism of the Trump administration came during the opening concert of his European tour in England earlier in May, where he denounced Trump’s leadership during his second term in office.

“In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” Springsteen said on stage during the show in Manchester.

Must watch as Bruce Springsteen opens his European Tour eviscerating Trump: "My home, the America I love that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration." pic.twitter.com/4SFQFecjZB

— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) May 15, 2025

Trump has since lashed out at the legendary singer, calling him “not a talented guy” and mocking his appearance, Politico reported. His latest accusations claim Harris’ campaign team paid celebrities to endorse the former vice president in her presidential bid. However, her team said otherwise when Trump first made the accusation shortly after the election.

“We do not pay. We have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person,” Adrienne Elrod, who served as senior adviser and senior spokesperson for the Harris campaign, told Deadline at the time.

When she announced her presidential run last summer, Harris raised more than $1 billion in just a few months. She also garnered support from organizations like Win With Black Women, and journalist Roland Martin and his Black Star Network joined the cause with “Win with Black Men.” Both causes raised over $1 million each in donations toward the campaign, Blavity reported.

The money Harris’ campaign raised also paid $165,000 to Beyoncé’s production team and $1 million to Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s production company. The former talk show host addressed the paid endorsement rumors, per Politico and Deadline.

“I did not take any personal fee. However, the people who worked on that production needed to be paid. And were. End of story,” Winfrey said in a TMZ video.

During his own presidential campaign, Trump relied on entertainers like Kid Rock and Lee Greenwood to endorse him. At the time, Greenwood partnered with Trump to release the God Bless The USA Bible, which was sold for $59.99, per Deadline.