Bono cited by Donald Trump in bizarre accusation about “Illegal Campaign Contribution” by Beyoncé

In a social media post, US President Donald Trump has called for a "major investigation" into Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Oprah for what he bizarrely claims was an "illegal campaign contribution" during the last presidential election.

Over two long Truth Social posts published at 1.34am (US time) on Sunday night, Trump said that Beyoncé was paid "millions of Dollars for doing nothing other than giving Kamala a full throated ENDORSEMENT."

He then proceeds to lump the other celebrities and artists – who all either endorsed or supported the Democrats in the 2024 election – into the same accusation, without offering a shred of evidence. The accusations are presented in Trump's typical ALL CAPS style of digital shouting.

"THIS IS AN ILLEGAL ELECTION SCAM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL! IT IS AN ILLEGAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION! BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, OPRAH, BONO AND, PERHAPS, MANY OTHERS, HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO," wrote the US President on his social media platform.

He also added that he will "call for a major investigation into this matter" as "candidates aren’t allowed to pay for ENDORSEMENTS, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment."

One might observe that the statement seems inherently contradictory, suggesting as it does that Beyoncé was both paid "millions of dollars" to perform and made "an illegal campaign contribution."

In November of last year, FactCheck.org – a project from the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center which works to debunk online disinformation – concluded there was "no evidence Harris campaign paid for celebrity endorsements."

Trump's latest comments come in a week in which Bruce Springsteen has been extremely critical of Trump, sounding the alarm bells at gigs in Europe about the threat the current President represents to democracy and freedom.

"Things are happening right now that are altering the very nature of our country’s democracy, and they’re too important to ignore," said Springsteen in a speech he has repeated at shows during his Land of Hope & Dreams Tour.

"In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. That’s happening now. In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers," he said.

In a recent interview with Sean O’Hagan in The Observer, Bono – who has worked at creating and promoting humanitarian organisations for decades – expressed his anger and dismay at the Trump Administrations's recent funding cuts.

"In terms of the evisceration of USAID and PEPFAR, unkind is not the word to describe it – it’s murderous," said Bono.

"The organisations I helped create and sustain can’t carry the anger that I have at the vandalism, not just of USAID, but of people’s lives – the people that worked on it and the people whose lives depended on it."

The U2 frontman also added: "I think what [Trump’s government is] doing now is so shortsighted and frankly dumb. Then there is the delight, the – dare I say it – glee of these people, as they pull life-support systems out of the wall with no warning. That means a haemorrhaging of human life. It’s hard to measure the enormity of it now."