Rev. Al Sharpton responded to President Donald Trump’s allegations on Monday, denying that he was paid to endorse Kamala Harris. During an interview with MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe,’ hosted by Jonathon Lemire, Sharpton said: “Absolutely not. And as the FEC filings say, they helped – the campaign gave funds for get-out-the-vote campaigns for National Action Network, of which I’m a part of, and other civil rights groups, some of which got more than National Action Network did. National Action Network, nor I, even endorsed her.”
Sharpton continued by stating that his organization, National Action Network, had previously considered suing Trump for defamation due to similar false claims. However, he noted that this time, the allegations were made with the knowledge that no endorsement had occurred, and that the funds went to a nonprofit he was associated with. The former vice president, Kamala Harris, had already lost the 2024 election to Trump. Trump had claimed in a Truth Social post that Sharpton, along with Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, was paid to endorse Harris. He accused the campaign of illegally disbursing over $11 million in endorsements, including a purported $600,000 payment to Sharpton, which he claimed was based on false information.
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reveal that the Harris campaign did make two $500,000 payments to Oprah Winfrey’s production company in October 2024, as reported by the Washington Examiner. These payments were made following Winfrey’s appearance with Harris at a town hall event and her subsequent participation in a rally in Philadelphia before the election. Similarly, FEC filings show that the Harris campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s National Action Network in September and October 2024. Sharpton did not disclose this arrangement to the public or during his interview with Harris in late October, which coincided with her 60th birthday. During their conversation, Harris reflected on her legacy, saying, “I hope that, and I really do hope that… my life will have proven to have been a life that is about fighting for the people.” Sharpton compared her to the late Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, who made a presidential run in 1972.
Sharpton also criticized Trump’s strategy, suggesting that the president was trying to divert attention from his own legal troubles, especially related to the Epstein case. Trump had claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) failed to provide a client list for Epstein, which became a major public controversy. Sharpton argued that Trump’s tactics, including race-baiting and attacking political opponents, were part of his broader effort to maintain support within his base. The former president had previously employed similar strategies, such as birtherism, which questioned the birthplace of former President Barack Obama. The White House has yet to issue a formal response to Sharpton’s allegations.