Donald Trump labeled Meghan Markle “terrible,” but vowed not to deport Prince Harry over his past drug use—in an unexpected blow to campaigners who say he should not have been admitted to U.S.
Asked whether he would throw Harry out of the country, the president told the New York Post: “I don’t want to do that. I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
Why It Matters
The president spoke out shortly before the opening ceremony of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games tournament for wounded veterans, which this year takes place in Canada.
And that makes the timing of his comments particularly pertinent after recent speculation in British newspapers that Harry was scared to leave the U.S. for fear he would not be allowed to return.
Harry is fiercely protective of Meghan and often reacts badly to criticism of her, but in this case it is his detractors who have the greater reason for disappointment.
What to Know
Right-wing think tank the Heritage Foundation sued Joe Biden’s former administration seeking access to Prince Harry’s visa records, arguing he should have been denied entry into America due to experiences with drugs. He described taking cocaine, cannabis, magic mushrooms and ayahuasca in his book Spare.
They had talked up the idea of Trump deporting Harry in comments ahead of the November election.
That may well have helped make Harry a low priority for Trump at a time when he has other fish to fry.
The Telegraph speculated in January that Prince Harry may have settled a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch’s media empire in part to avoid him having to leave America to give evidence at the High Court in London.
The newspaper may well have been wrong about that, and Harry has certainly indicated previously that he is not a fan of the reporter who wrote the piece, but Trump’s comments were needless to say timely, given that Harry had left America to host the games in Canada at the point they were published.
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump told the Post: “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
Mike Howell, executive director of the think tank’s Oversight Project, told Newsweek in September: “President Trump has already suggested that Prince Harry will be deported next year and the case for that just got a lot more compelling.”
Prince Harry gave a speech at the opening ceremony of Invictus a day after Trump’s remark: “In this moment of difficulty and division in many parts of the world, we gather here in Vancouver in a spirit of unity.”
What Happens Next
Legal experts always said Harry would not under normal circumstances be deported without a criminal conviction for drugs offenses, but Trump’s return to the White House was a wild card that meant anything seemed possible.
The president’s latest comments remove a major threat to Harry and Meghan’s U.S. lives, but there is still a headache in the background for them.
Heritage’s lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security appears to be heading toward a partial release of some of the prince’s immigration papers, albeit with redactions.
On the one hand, the result could exonerate Harry over the allegation he may have lied on his application. On the other, there may be awkward aspects to his records that emerge.
For example, it is still not publicly known when Harry applied for his visa, but some Sussex critics have long accused the duke and duchess of secretly planning their royal exit since at least summer 2019, months before they said, in early 2020, they wanted to spend more time in North America. The couple have also never said what type of visa Harry has.
The coming weeks may, therefore, still hold some potential bear traps for the prince, depending on what the paperwork says.
