Rev. Al Sharpton is weighing legal action against President Donald Trump after Trump publicly accused him of being paid to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 election. Sharpton firmly denied the claim during an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, clarifying that neither he nor his organization, the National Action Network, endorsed Harris. He explained that campaign funds were directed toward voter outreach efforts, not endorsements, and that other civil rights groups received even more support than his own.
Sharpton revealed that lawyers for his nonprofit are exploring defamation options, especially since Trump allegedly repeated the accusation despite knowing it was false. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed Sharpton received $600,000 for “doing, absolutely NOTHING,” and lumped him in with Oprah Winfrey and Beyoncé, whom he also accused of accepting payments for endorsements.
Federal Election Commission filings contradict Trump’s claims, showing that the Harris campaign made two $250,000 donations to the National Action Network for get-out-the-vote initiatives. Sharpton dismissed the accusations as “race baiting,” drawing parallels to Trump’s previous birtherism attacks on Barack Obama.
He also suggested that Trump’s comments were a deliberate distraction from growing scrutiny over his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Sharpton challenged Trump to release Epstein-related files, saying, “Do what we did or be quiet.” He argued that Trump’s recent rhetoric—targeting prominent Black figures—was part of a broader strategy to deflect attention from his own controversies.
As of now, the White House has not issued a statement regarding Sharpton’s potential lawsuit.