In yet more proof that he’ll focus on anything other than lowering grocery prices, Donald Trump has confirmed he won’t deport Prince Harry, for a somewhat surprising reason.
In case you were more focused on, I don’t know, the collapse of the government, the President has for months floated the idea of deporting the Duke of Sussex back to his native U.K., as part of his broader mass-deportation plans. Chatter about Prince Harry’s exile back to London has resulted in a lawsuit requesting that his immigration documents be made public, as he admitted to past drug use in his memoir, Spare.
NEW: Donald Trump suggests he may deport Prince Harry from the United States if elected president.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 19, 2024
Trump said that Prince Harry will get no special privileges if he lied on his visa application.
"We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll… pic.twitter.com/zpnHsoRomO
Admission to drug offenses complicates Prince Harry’s visa status, and the legal battle has received renewed attention following Trump’s re-election and his previous comments about the Duke. Last year, Trump said he “wouldn’t protect [Harry]” because “he betrayed the Queen,” declaring at the time that the ex-royal “would be on his own if it was down to me.” Now, however, the president has seemingly abandoned this mission, confirming this week that he would not deport Prince Harry while getting a swipe in at his wife, Meghan Markle.
“I don’t want to do that, I’ll leave him alone” Trump said when asked whether he’d relocate the Duke. “He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.” The president’s aversion to the Duchess is perhaps to be expected, not just because of his childish petulance, but because Markle has been critical of him in the past. In 2016, she called Trump “divisive” and “misogynistic,” and more recently, she issued a press statement about Meta’s changes to fact-checking policies that vaguely hinted at the Trump-induced political climate.
Not Happy!
— ~ Her Jenness ~ (@JenWendling) February 8, 2025
"Donald Trump has stated that he will not deport Prince Harry from the United States." pic.twitter.com/S1JCLGVLbv
With all that beef-filled history, Trump’s decision not to deport Prince Harry is a surprising one (I guess gutting the government is more of a priority), but apparently it’s a result of Trump’s attitude towards King Charles. According to a royal expert source (per Mirror), the president’s chummy friendship with the monarch has caused him to soften his views on deporting Prince Harry, since, in the eyes of the royal family, “having [Harry] back in the U.K. is actually harder than having him kept away in the USA.”
The source cited multiple occasions in which Trump and the King have seemingly fostered a friendship that’s at risk of being jeopardized if Harry is exiled. During his first term, Trump met with King Charles during a state visit, and the pair have reportedly kept in contact since then. Last year, the monarch was said to have sent Trump a letter of support following the assassination attempt on his life, and before that, Trump sent his well-wishes to Charles after news of his cancer diagnosis.
The Prince of Wales has become the first member of the Royal Family to meet @realDonaldTrump since he became President Elect. The pair have met in Paris at the re-opening of Notre Dame. The PE told the media William ‘was doing a fantastic job’. pic.twitter.com/LxPoyzrAjn
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) December 7, 2024
While the same warmth doesn’t extend to Harry or Meghan, Trump has appeared equally besotted with Charles’ other son, Prince William. The pair met recently in France after the unveiling of the restored Notre Dame Cathedral, and Trump described the Prince as a “good man” while complimenting his height. With all that, it seems Harry may have avoided deportation on account of his family, but it’s unlikely that the Duke will be sending them thank-you letters anytime soon. For what it’s worth, being disliked by Trump is arguably a badge of honor, so maybe the Duke and Duchess should take this as a win.
Published: Feb 13, 2025 8:23 AM UTC