Trump proposes prosecution of Beyoncé for suspected Harris endorsement money allegations

In a significant show of support for Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid, global superstar Beyoncé made an appearance at an abortion rights rally in Houston, Texas, in October 2021. Beyoncé was joined by fellow Destiny's Child alum Kelly Rowland at the event.

The endorsement, which saw "Freedom," a song by Beyoncé, being used as Harris' official campaign song, sparked controversy when former President Donald Trump accused Beyoncé of receiving an illegal $11 million for her endorsement. Trump made these allegations publicly on his platform Truth Social, without providing any evidence.

However, both the Harris campaign and Beyoncé have denied these claims. Last year, the Harris campaign rejected the rumour of a $10 million payment to Beyoncé for her endorsement. Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles, also called the $10 million rumour "false information" and a "lie" in a November 2022 Instagram post.

Beyoncé, during her October 2021 appearance at Harris' rally, made it clear that she was not endorsing Harris as a celebrity or a politician. Instead, she emphasised her role as a mother, stating, "I'm not here as a celebrity. I'm not here as a politician. I'm here as a mother."

Trump suggested that such payments for endorsements would cause chaos if it became common practice among politicians. He also claimed that other celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Al Sharpton, also received payments for endorsements. However, Oprah Winfrey stated that she was not paid a 'personal fee' for her participation in a Kamala Harris rally.

In May 2022, Trump announced plans for a "major investigation" into the Harris campaign's celebrity endorsements. The accusation was made on Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, on July 26, 2022. At the time of Trump's original allegations, the Federal Election Commission had no record of an $11 million payment to Beyoncé from Harris' presidential campaign.

Beyoncé gifted Harris tickets to the tour, and Harris attended the singer's Renaissance World Tour in 2023. During her rally speech, Beyoncé urged the audience, "Your freedom is your God-given right, your human right," when describing Harris' presidential bid. She concluded by saying, "It's time for America to sing a new song."

USA TODAY reached out to a representative for Beyoncé for comment, but no response was received at the time of publication.