Trump Comments on Prince Harry Amid Controversy Over Immigration Records

President-elect Trump met with Prince William in Paris on Saturday, after the two attended the re-opening ceremonies of Notre Dame Cathedral.

President Donald Trump on Friday stated that he isn't interested in deporting Prince Harry, who famously left Britain with his wife, Meghan Markle, in 2020, eventually settling in Montecito, California.

The Duke of Sussex is facing scrutiny after the conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation filed a lawsuit last year against the Department of Homeland Security for the release of his immigration records, following Harry's admission of past illegal drug use in his 2023 memoir "Spare."

"I don't want to do that," Trump told the New York Post when asked about deporting the royal. "I'll leave him alone. He's got enough problems with his wife. She's terrible."

Markle has previously criticized Trump, labeling him "misogynistic" and "divisive" during a television appearance before the 2016 election.

In 2019, prior to a state visit to the U.K. during his first term, Trump referred to the Duchess of Sussex as "nasty" due to her remarks about him.

Trump also mentioned to Piers Morgan in 2022 that Harry was "whipped like no person he had ever seen."

The Heritage Foundation claims that Harry may have lied on his immigration forms about his past drug use or received preferential treatment by the government, calling for the release of his records.

"I'll be urging the president to release Prince Harry's immigration records and the president does have that legal authority to do that," Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation told the New York Post.

"It's important because this is an issue of the rule of law, transparency and accountability. No one should be above the law," Gardiner added. "Donald Trump is ushering in a new era of strict border control enforcement, and Prince Harry should be held fully to account as he has admitted to extensive illegal drug use."

This week, a federal judge indicated he is "likely" to release Harry's immigration files following the first hearing in the royal's high-profile case since Trump took office.

U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols said Harry's files should be released "to the maximum extent possible" during Wednesday's hearing in Washington, D.C., emphasizing that he is "required to make public everything that can be made public" while ensuring compliance with privacy laws.

During last year's campaign, Trump mentioned to Nigel Farage that appropriate action would need to be taken if Harry was found to have lied on his immigration forms, although he did not explicitly confirm he would seek deportation.

Trump accused the Biden administration of "protecting" Harry, stating in an interview with the Daily Express in February 2024, "I wouldn't protect him. He betrayed the Queen. That's unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me."

On Friday, Trump expressed admiration for Prince William, who has had a longstanding feud with Harry, calling him a "great young man."

Trump previously met with William in December in Paris during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral following its devastating fire.