Why Donald Trump’s 2nd term could be risky for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Donald Trump's return to power may complicate the Sussexes' lives in California, as he has openly criticized Prince Harry and questioned his US residency.
With Donald Trump’s return to the White House for the second term, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could be facing a more complicated chapter in their life in California. Trump, celebrating an“unprecedented and powerful mandate” after sweeping key swing states like North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan, may now have the power to influence the visa matters of Sussexes.
The former president has not kept quiet about his thoughts on Prince Harry’s US residency, especially after revelations in Harry's memoir Spare about his past drug use.
Trump commented earlier this year that the Biden administration had been “too gracious” with Harry, who moved to California with Meghan in 2020. “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me,” Trump told The Express. Trump openly threatened Harry to be deported to the UK in his second term.
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Even back in 2020, Trump reacted to the Sussexes’ move to Los Angeles by declaring that the couple should “pay” for their own security. After Meghan encouraged Americans to vote for Joe Biden, Trump added, “I’m not a fan of hers. I wish a lot of luck to Harry; he’s going to need it.”
Harry's immigration status has already faced scrutiny
Following Harry's admission of past drug use, The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank in Washington, questioned why he was permitted entry into the US despite these disclosures. Although the Duke has expressed a desire to become a US citizen, a judge recently ruled that his visa application would remain confidential, stating that “the public does not have a strong interest in disclosure of the Duke’s immigration records.” Even the Hindustan Times reported earlier that Harry had changed his country of residence from the UK to the US in official documents.
Recently, his son, Eric Trump, also criticized Harry in an interview with the Daily Mail. The former first son remarked that Harry’s visa status only remains secure because “no one cares” about him. Expressing his family’s affection for the late Queen Elizabeth II, he added that Harry’s departure from royal duties had “damaged” the monarchy.
“Truthfully, I don’t give a damn about Prince Harry and I don’t think this country does either,” Eric said, adding, “I don’t give a damn if he did drugs. It means nothing.”
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The Sussexes’ strained relationship with Trump dates back to Meghan’s 2016 appearance on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, where she called Trump “divisive” and “misogynistic.” Trump responded to her comments only years later, in 2019, before a UK state visit, telling Piers Morgan that he thought she was “very nice” but admitted that he initially found her “nasty.