PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump launched a late night online tirade early Monday morning accusing former Vice President Kamala Harris of making unlawful payments to several high-profile celebrities during her presidential campaign.
In a post shared on his Truth Social account, Trump questioned whether payments made to entertainers including Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Bono during Harris’ campaign events constituted illegal campaign contributions disguised as performance fees.
The post comes after a war of words between the New Jersey rocker and the President, who also calls New Jersey his summer home.
“HOW MUCH DID KAMALA HARRIS PAY BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN FOR HIS POOR PERFORMANCE DURING HER CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT?” Trump wrote in all caps. “ISN’T THAT A MAJOR AND ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION?”
Trump went on to allege that the Harris campaign used entertainment bookings as a means to “artificially build up her sparse crowds,” and said he would call for a “major investigation” into the matter.
Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations allow campaigns to pay entertainers for performances at campaign events, but prohibit undisclosed in-kind contributions.
Whether payments for campaign appearances cross legal lines would depend on disclosures, fair market rates, and intent.
When Harris held events without major entertainment, her crowd sizes were significantly smaller.