Trump calls to probe Kamala Harris celebrity endorsements

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said on Monday he would launch a “major investigation” into his 2024 election rival Kamala Harris over celebrities who backed her failed run for the White House.

“Candidates aren´t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment,” he posted on his Truth Social platform. “I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter.”

Harris sought to harness star power from celebrities such as Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey in the election race. Winfrey defended a $1 million payment to her production company from the Harris campaign to covers costs associated with the talk show legend hosting the presidential candidate.

Harris´s team, meanwhile, denied rumours that she paid pop megastar Beyonce $10 million to appear at a rally. The Harris campaign listed one endorsement-related expenditure for $75 in its financial reports to an environmental advocacy group.

Trump, who won the election comfortably, received scant support from the entertainment industry at large but tapped into a targeted subset of well-known, hypermasculine influencers including podcast host Joe Rogan.

The president on Monday took aim at Beyonce, Winfrey and Bruce Springsteen, accusing Harris of paying the legendary rock star to perform at a rally in Georgia weeks before the election.