Fact Check: Did Sephora donate to Donald Trump's presidential campaign?
WASHINGTON, DC: Recent claims on social media have alleged that beauty retailer Sephora contributed to Donald Trump's presidential campaign, prompting a closer examination of the facts.
The assertion has ignited a debate, with numerous individuals questioning if the company, renowned for its varied product range and progressive stance, would endorse Trump.
TikTok video sparks viral claims that Sephora donated to Donald Trump’s campaign
In November 2024, a TikTok video went viral, sparking widespread claims that Sephora, the French cosmetics retailer, had made donations to the campaign of President-elect Trump.
The TikTok user @karressmarie posted a video with a caption, "Sephora BIG BIG BIG DONATIONS!!" The video concluded with the following statement, "I HOPE we all understand the assignment for this Christmas season!" At the time of filing this report, the video had amassed over 13.7 million views and garnered 1.8 million likes.
No evidence Sephora donated to Donald Trump's campaign
The fact-checking website Snopes investigated the claim and determined it was completely fabricated. There is no evidence to support the assertion that Sephora contributed to Trump's campaign or any other political campaign.
Upon searching the Federal Election Commission (FEC) website, Snopes found no records of LVMH, the parent company of the beauty chain, making organizational contributions to political candidates.
Individual employees of the company collectively contributed over $35,000 to Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, as reported by OpenSecrets.
Sephora responds to donation claims, clarifies no corporate political contributions
Sephora has reacted to the claims, telling Snopes, "It has come to our attention that there is incorrect information circulating on social media regarding company donations. Sephora does not make corporate donations to political candidates. Sephora's mission is to create a welcoming beauty shopping experience for all."
Some online remarks have suggested that Bernard Arnault, the CEO of LVMH, is friends with Trump. While there is not enough evidence to conclude that Arnault endorses Trump, he did participate with the CEO in Texas in 2019 for the inauguration of a new Louis Vuitton workshop.
To summarize, the claim that Sephora or its parent company, LVMH, contributed to Trump's campaign is unfounded. There is no proof of any such donation and Sephora has verified that the company does not engage in corporate donations to political candidates.
