Should you boycott Sephora? TikTok conspiracy claims beauty giant donated to Trump’s presidential campaign
Did Sephora, one of the biggest beauty retailers in the world, make significant financial donations to Donald Trump’s campaign ahead of the 2024 US presidential election? Let’s try and solve the elaborate TikTok rumour that’s gripped netizens over the past few days.
On 10 November 2024, TikTok user @karriemarie4, whose account seems to have disappeared from the platform, posted a video titled “Let’s see who did and DID NOT make donations to the Trump campaign…” Alongside a plethora of other brands, the video seemed to effectively allege that Sephora had been one of Trump’s biggest donors.
Immediately, this rumour began to spread like wildfire across TikTok. And while some users used this information to warn netizens not to buy Sephora products this Christmas due to its political affiliations, others (clearly Trump supporters) expressed their excitement to overspend at these pro-MAGA stores.
@chloejosephine4 Just an idea of places to spend extra money this holiday season #trump #election2024 #politics #trumpcampaign2024 #trumpcampaigndonations
♬ son original - oi.ha.na
@meg_n_voigt Christmas is coming! I hope you guys understand the assignment🎄 #christmas #trump #gifts #giftideas
♬ Christmas - neozilla
Some of the comments under these Republicans’ videos included statements such as “Thank you!!! Those are the only places I’m gonna shop for Christmas!” and “All on the nice list!”
There have been a number of videos shared online post-election which highlight the brands and companies that donated to Trump and supported his campaign. One user who also supported the idea that Sephora was one such company was @sonassunni:
@sonassunni This is the list of companies that donated a didn't donate to Trumps campaign. We know Tesla donated and several others.#Christmas #boycott #brands #donate
♬ original sound - Sona | The Real Realtor
So, did Sephora actually donate to Trump’s campaign? Well, according to Open Secrets, a money tracking organisation that specialises in campaign contributions, lobbying data and analysis, the most straightforward answer is no.
For context, Sephora is owned by LVMH, a luxury goods company. LVMH itself did not contribute to the 2024 election, though individual members, employees, owners, or their family members supported Kamala Harris’ campaign. While some donations went to Republicans, no direct link to Trump’s campaign was found.
Sephora immediately began taking action to emphasise that it did not support the Trump campaign in any way.
@whatsupjacquie Like why are we spreading false information like that… we need the receipts 😭 #sephora
♬ original sound - Jacquie
So, for any of you concerned or confused users out there who were worried about whether or not you’d have to skip the retailer’s annual advent calendar, you’re all good.
