Trump accuses kamala harris of illegal payments to celebrities in late night social media post

Trump accuses Kamala Harris of illegal payments to celebrities in late night social media post

Posted by
1 min read
May 19, 2025

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.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

Don't Miss

Exit mobile version