Trump Names Pro-Democratic Celebrities
"Says Harris Paid Them During Her Campaign"
"Illegal Election Donations... Campaigning for Money"
President Donald Trump of the United States has announced that he will investigate whether the celebrities who supported his former rival, former Vice President Kamala Harris, during the last presidential election received any payments. On the 19th (local time), Yonhap News reported, "President Trump stated in a post on his social media that he would launch an investigation, mentioning former Vice President Harris, who was the Democratic candidate in the election, as well as singer Bruce Springsteen?who recently criticized him during an overseas concert?singer Beyonce, U2's Bono, and broadcaster Oprah Winfrey, all of whom supported Harris."
President Trump said, "How much did Harris pay for Springsteen's terrible performance during her campaign?" and added, "If he is a fan of Harris, why did he accept money?" He continued, "According to reports, Beyonce received $11 million (about 15.3 billion won) for going on stage to support Harris," and claimed, "Beyonce was booed and left the stage because she did not sing a single song."
President Trump pointed out, "It is not allowed for a candidate to disguise a payment for a performance as compensation for a declaration of support, but Harris did exactly that." He added, "This is a very expensive and desperate attempt to increase the (campaign) audience, which was usually small, and it is illegal." He further stated, "This is top-level illegal election fraud and an illegal campaign contribution," and said, "I will request a large-scale investigation into this matter."
President Trump's anger toward celebrities supporting Harris comes at a time when critical remarks about the government continue to emerge from the entertainment industry. Bruce Springsteen, a representative anti-Trump figure, said during his concert in Manchester, UK, on the 14th, "My homeland, the America I love, the country I have written songs about, 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 America, those who exercise freedom of the press and express dissenting opinions are being suppressed," and "the wealthiest people are content to neglect the diseases and deaths of the world's poorest children."
In response, President Trump criticized Springsteen on social media, saying, "The overrated Springsteen went abroad 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, 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'?"
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