Former President Donald Trump has stated he will not deport Prince Harry, despite past claims about the Duke of Sussex's drug use. The statement comes after a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation, attempted to access Harry's visa application to verify his past drug use, which was ultimately rejected by the courts.
Trump told the New York Post, "I won't do it. I'll leave him alone, he's got enough on his plate with his wife. It's terrible." This response contrasts with his stance a year ago when he accused Harry of "betraying the Queen" and promised to take "appropriate action" if it were proven he had lied on his visa application.
The Heritage Foundation had filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to gain access to Harry's records, alleging he concealed his use of cocaine, cannabis, and hallucinogenic mushrooms in his visa application. This, they argued, would have made him ineligible for entry into the United States. Harry has resided in Montecito, California, with Meghan Markle and their two children since 2020.
Trump's relationship with the Sussexes has been strained. In 2020, Harry and Meghan recorded a video urging people to vote (without endorsing any candidate) and Harry specifically called for an end to hate speech, a clear reference to the shift in the American conservative party.
Meghan Markle, who Trump now calls "terrible," publicly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election and criticized the current president (and winner of that election) as divisive and misogynistic. The Duchess of Sussex has been active in the fight against racism in the United States and has been in contact with the Black Lives Matter movement.
In contrast, Trump has spoken favorably about Harry's older brother and heir to the British throne, William. The former president said of William, whom he met at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, that he is a "good guy."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a public appearance this weekend at the opening of the Invictus Games in Vancouver, an initiative spearheaded by Harry. Meghan Markle, who has reactivated her Instagram profile, shared emotional images of the opening of these games, which feature competitors from 25 countries. The public appearance of the couple, who kissed and held hands on several occasions, seems to put an end to rumors of a crisis in their relationship. Harry himself said a couple of months ago that the best thing to do is to "ignore" this type of commentary, because if they were to be believed, he would have been divorced "ten or twelve times" already.
One of the most difficult battles for the grandson of Elizabeth II has been against the tabloids and the gossip press. A couple of weeks ago, an out-of-court settlement gave Diana's son a victory in his lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate, a victory that included a public apology.
"Diana would be proud," said Charles Spencer, her uncle, about the outcome of the trial. The treatment Meghan Markle received when her relationship with Harry became public and, of course, the tragic end of Lady Di, who died in a car accident in Paris while being chased by paparazzi, led Harry to take legal action against the tabloids, whom he accused of illegally obtaining the information they published, including phone tapping, surveillance, and misuse of private information.