Shake it off?
Not President Donald Trump. The Republican is calling for an investigation of Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, and other celebs who endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 White House bid.
“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???” Trump thundered in a 1:34 a.m. post to his Truth Social network on Monday morning.
But it didn’t end there.
“I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” Trump continued, using CAPS-LOCK a tad more sparingly. “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!!!”
The post came days after Trump took a swipe at Springsteen, denouncing him as a “dried out prune of a rocker,” in revenge for some pointed remarks the Rock Hall of Famer made from the stage in the United Kingdom.
Harris received a steady stream of celebrity endorsements last year, Politico reported Monday.
Beyoncé spoke at a rally in Houston along with former Destiny’s Child bandmate Kelly Rowland, the online news org reported. But she did not perform.
Winfrey, meanwhile, hosted a live-streamed town hall near Detroit, Politico reported. There were false reports that the stars were paid in exchange for their support — which were quickly shot down, Politico further reported.
Still, Harris’s campaign did pay Beyoncé’s production company $165,000. And it gave $1 million to Harpo Productions, Winfrey’s company, Politico reported, citing campaign finance records.
Winfrey addressed the criticism in a social media post, saying she did not receive “any personal fee,” according to Politico.
Springsteen, meanwhile, appeared undeterred by any criticism from the White House.
Over the weekend, he dedicated a song to the “Dear Leader,” a reference to the title used for former North Korean strongman Kim Jong Il, The Wall Street Journal reported.
And in an opinion piece for MSNBC, columnist Jeff Slate suggested only one person is benefiting from the Trump-Springsteen feud. And it’s not the guy who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
“Sometimes entertaining and sometimes ominous, the mini-feud pits two septuagenarians against each other in the least surprising way possible. And while unlikely to move the needle in 2028, the fact that Trump gave in to his boorish impulses is ultimately mostly just a personal gift to the Boss,” Slate wrote.
For his part, Springsteen ducked any questions about Trump as he signed autographs for fans. He just chuckled when he was asked if he had a message for the president, Fox News reported.
