Fact check: Trump calls to prosecute Beyoncé based on a nonexistent $11 million payment
Context:
President Donald Trump has called for the prosecution of Beyoncé, claiming she received $11 million for endorsing Kamala Harris, a claim that lacks any evidence. Federal records indicate only a $165,000 payment from Harris's campaign to Beyoncé’s production company for event production, not for an endorsement. Trump’s assertion of an illegal payment has been debunked by fact-checking organizations, which found no basis for such claims. Despite Trump's insistence on the illegality of endorsement payments, no law prohibits such transactions, and the Harris campaign denies any improper payments. Beyoncé's representatives and her mother have publicly refuted these claims, labeling them as false and baseless accusations perpetuated without proof.
Dive Deeper:
Donald Trump has accused Beyoncé of illegally receiving $11 million for endorsing Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign, despite having no evidence to support this claim. Campaign finance records show a $165,000 payment to Beyoncé’s production company for event production, not for an endorsement.
Trump's claims have been fact-checked by organizations like FactCheck.org and PolitiFact, both of which found no evidence of such a large payment, debunking the figure as baseless and unfounded.
The Harris campaign, while acknowledging a smaller payment for production costs, has clarified that they do not pay celebrity endorsers, and the payment was for logistical expenses associated with the event.
Beyoncé’s representatives, including her mother Tina Knowles, have publicly denied receiving any such endorsement payment, calling the rumors a 'lie' and 'beyond ridiculous', and Instagram has labeled related posts as false information.
Trump, in his social media posts, continues to mischaracterize campaign payments and wrongly asserts their illegality, despite there being no federal law against paying for political endorsements. His calls for prosecution follow a pattern of targeting political opponents with unfounded accusations.