President Donald Trump has announced that he will investigate whether the celebrities who supported his former rival, Kamala Harris, in the last presidential election received any payments. On May 19 (local time), Yonhap News reported, "President Trump, in a post on his social networking service (SNS) today, mentioned singer Bruce Springsteen, who recently criticized him during an overseas concert, as well as singer Beyonce, U2's Bono, and broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, all of whom supported former Vice President Harris, the Democratic candidate in the last election, and announced his intention to investigate."
Trump: "Compensation for Supporting Harris... Illegal Campaign Donations, Request for Investigation"
President Trump said, "How much did former Vice President Harris pay for Springsteen's terrible performance during the campaign?" He added, "If he is a fan of former Vice President Harris, why did he accept money?" He continued, "According to reports, Beyonce received $11 million (about 15.3 billion won) as compensation for appearing on stage to support Harris," and claimed, "Beyonce was booed and left the stage because she did not sing a single song."
President Trump stated, "It is not allowed for a candidate to disguise compensation for a performance as payment for a public endorsement, but former Vice President Harris did exactly that." He emphasized, "This is a very expensive and desperate attempt to increase (rally) crowds that were usually sparse, and it is illegal." He also said, "This is the highest level of illegal election fraud and illegal campaign donation," and added, "I will request a large-scale investigation into this matter."
Beyonce (right) and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, are embracing on stage at a campaign rally held in Houston. Photo by AP Yonhap News
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Criticism and Attacks as Entertainment Industry Voices Opposition to the Government
President Trump's anger toward celebrities who supported former Vice President Harris comes amid a series of critical statements against the government from the entertainment industry. Bruce Springsteen, a prominent anti-Trump figure, said during a concert in Manchester, United Kingdom, on May 14, "My homeland, the America I love, the country for which I have written songs, the beacon of hope and freedom for 250 years, is now in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration."
Springsteen strongly criticized the Trump administration, saying, "In the United States, those who exercise freedom of the press and express dissent are being suppressed," and "The wealthiest people are content to leave the world's poorest children to suffer from disease and death."
In response, President Trump said on SNS, "The overrated Springsteen went abroad just to badmouth the President of the United States," and added, "I never liked him, I never liked his music, and I never liked his far-left political views." He further stated, "The important thing is that he is not a talented person," and added, "He is just a rude and unpleasant fool."
Prior to this, he also took aim at pop star Taylor Swift. President Trump said, "Has anyone noticed that since I said I really dislike Swift, she is no longer 'hot'?"
