Despite backing down on his veiled threat to deport Prince Harry, Donald Trump’s continued misogyny-laced remarks about Meghan Markle have perhaps prompted a retaliatory jab from the Duke of Sussex.
Delivering a speech to an audience of over 40,000 strong at Vancouver, Canada’s BC Stadium during the 2025 Invictus Games opening event, Harry’s words about weak moral character in the world contained strong Trump vibes. As per The Mirror, the prince said, “At this moment, when there is no shortage of crises, no absence of uncertainty, no lack of weak moral character in the world, the values you embody, the way you carry yourselves — not only at the Invictus Games but each and every day — your courage, your resilience, your humanity, illuminate a path forward for us all.”
The Invictus Games are an international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick military service personnel. Prince Harry founded the Games in London in 2014 and has addressed attendees many times.
This speech is, as you will all be aware, extremely timely. The news coming out of Washington has been stomach-churning, from tariffs that place the burden on everyday citizens to attempts to stifle the democratic process with executive orders, so it’s no surprise Harry may have taken the opportunity to denounce the world leader.
Moreover, Trump and Harry have a storied history, particularly on Trump’s end, with the convicted felon making negative remarks about Harry and Meghan on a regular basis. The New York Post reported that Trump no longer cares about scrutinizing Harry’s visa following the admission in his book Spare about experimenting with psychedelic drugs in his youth, but he did make a nasty comment on Feb. 7: “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
While Trump’s idle threats about messing with Harry’s status as an immigrant were likely just to stoke some anxiety following the Heritage Foundation’s allegation that he may have concealed information that should have disqualified him from acquiring a visa, the president seems more focused on Meghan, who has been more articulate in her objections to MAGA ideology.
In the same New York Post interview, Trump praised Harry’s older brother, Prince William. The pair met in Paris in Dec. 2024 around the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral for a private chat and were pictured smiling together. “I think William is a great young man,” Trump said. He went on to describe Harry as “whipped” by Meghan (can someone criticize this couple without saying things dripping with sexist subtext?) and said, “I think poor Harry is being led around by the nose.”
Meanwhile, the relationship with William’s younger brother has always been sour. Trump remarked via The Independent, “I wouldn’t protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That’s unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.” That’s far from the only thing he’s said against Harry. As for Meghan, her disdain goes back to public comments made on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore in 2016, which caused Trump to call her “nasty” in response.
Harry and Meghan may not have to worry about Harry’s visa anymore, but we doubt tempers will cool on either side of the aisle soon. Nor should they; anyone with any sort of public attention has a civic duty to make it clear just how damaging Trump as a representative on a global scale is to the U.S.’ image.
Published: Feb 10, 2025 11:02 PM UTC