“IT IS TOTALLY ILLEGAL”: President Trump Wants Beyoncé “Prosecuted”

The president claims that Beyoncé allegedly broke campaign finance laws when she appeared at a rally for former Vice President Kamala Harris.

President Trump made serious allegations against Beyoncé over the weekend.

He claims on his Truth Social website that the “Cowboy Carter” artist broke campaign finance laws. He said that she allegedly accepted an $11 million payment for endorsing his opponent, former Vice President Kamala Harris, at a rally. The event took place at the Shell Energy Stadium in Beyoncé’s hometown of Houston, Texas, on October 25, 2024.

In response to Trump’s allegations, CNN and other websites later debunked these claims. Federal campaign spending records show a $165,000 payment to Queen Bey’s production company. It was listed by the Harris campaign as an “event production” expense.

This Isn’t the First Time President Trump Has Made This Claim

Similar rumors about a “$10 million” endorsement deal began spreading last year among the President’s supporters on social media. However, these claims have not been substantiated. FactCheck.org and PolitiFact both investigated at the time and found no evidence.

Additionally, last year, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign told Deadline it did not pay celebrities to endorse the campaign. The spokesperson clarified that the campaign was only required to pay “for any ancillary costs for that performance.” This can be for expenses such as travel.

“There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign,” Adrienne Elrod, the senior adviser and spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said last year in the article.

Beyoncé’s Mother Denied the Rumors Last Year

Similar rumors about a “$10 million” endorsement deal began spreading last year among the President’s supporters on social media. However, these claims have not been substantiated. FactCheck.org and PolitiFact investigated at the time and found no evidence.

Additionally, last year, a spokesperson for the Harris campaign told Deadline it did not pay celebrities to endorse the campaign. The spokesperson clarified that the campaign was only required to pay “for any ancillary costs for that performance,” such as travel.

“There are laws that have to be followed that we have followed religiously on this campaign,” Adrienne Elrod, the senior adviser and spokesperson for the Harris campaign, said last year in the article.

Beyoncé’s Mother Denied the Rumors Last Year

A spokesperson for the Harris campaign pointed to a November Instagram post from Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, denying the payment rumor last year. She wrote the following:

“The lie is that Beyoncé was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact : Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’s Rally in Houston. In fact she actually paid for her own flights for her and her team, and total Glam . They are not only lying and disrespecting Beyonce’s name but they are trying to further discredit the power of our vice president! When does the lies and rumors stop?”

These claims came two months after Trump made similar accusations against other celebrities. He stated he would launch an investigation into what he called “major and illegal campaign contribution[s].” He listed U2’s lead singer Bono, Bruce Springsteen, and Oprah Winfrey in his allegation. As of now, no investigation has been launched and no evidence has been produced.