Trump wants probe into Harris' endorsements from Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey

Driving the news: The president took it a step further in a 1:34am ET Truth Social post, demanding a "major investigation" and accusing Harris of paying for endorsements "under the guise of paying for entertainment."

• He singled out Springsteen, Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey and U2 frontman Bono and alleged Harris engaged in a "very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds."
• He added, "IT'S NOT LEGAL! For these unpatriotic 'entertainers,' this was just a CORRUPT & UNLAWFUL way to capitalize on a broken system."

Reality check: While Harris' sprint to November did quickly attain star-studded status with a flood of Hollywood endorsements, Trump also pulled in several celebrity backers, including Kid Rock, who performed at the Republican National Convention.

Catch up quick: Rumors circulated that Harris' celebrity backers were paid for their support, but high-profile allies quickly rejected those claims.

• Harris' campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey's production company Harpo for a town hall, as reflected in campaign finance records, and it paid Beyoncé's production company $165,000, USA Today reported.
• But Winfrey and her team said she was not compensated with a "personal fee" and that Harris' campaign had paid for production costs.

• Tina Knowles, Beyoncé's mother, said her daughter "did not receive a penny" for speaking at a Harris rally in Texas last year.

Zoom out: Adrienne Elrod, who served as a senior adviser and senior spokesperson on the Harris campaign, told Deadline last year as rumors circulated that "[w]e have never paid any artist and performer. We have never paid a fee to that person."

• But she emphasized there are campaign finance laws by which they had to abide.
• The campaign was required to pay "for any ancillary costs for that performance," she said, noting that there "are laws that have to be followed."

Go deeper: George Clooney, Melinda French Gates headline celebrity rush to Harris