Donald Trump has disclosed the unusual reason behind his decision not to deport Prince Harry from the United States.
The former British royal, 40, relocated to California with his wife, Meghan Markle, 43, in 2020, as tensions between him and the rest of the royal family grew.
The couple, who have two children, Archie and Lilibet, did not feel safe staying in the UK because of fears about their security and privacy.
However, Harry’s immigration status has been the subject of litigation in Washington, DC, with the Heritage Foundation claiming that he should have been disqualified for a US visa due to allegations that he may have concealed previous unlawful dr:ug usage.
The Prince’s life in Montecito appears to be secure for the time being since President Trump has stated that he will not seek to deport Harry back to the UK.
President Trump 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.”
He also used the occasion to compliment Harry’s estranged brother, Prince William, after meeting with him privately in Paris in December while both were attending the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Trump added: “I think William is a great young man.”
The decision to allow Harry to remain in the United States comes after both he and Meghan have previously expressed their disapproval of Trump’s leadership, with Meghan branding him “divisive” and “misogynistic”.
President Trump responded by referring to Harry as being “whipped” by his wife, adding, “I think poor Harry is being led around by the nose.”
The debate over whether Harry’s visa should be revoked arose following the publication of his explosive autobiography, Spare, in which he admits to using cocaine, cannabis, and psychedelics.
Last year, Heritage sued the Department of Homeland Security to force the publication of Harry’s US immigration data.
According to Heritage’s Nile Gardiner, “Anyone who applies to the United States has to be truthful on their application, and it is not clear that is the case with Prince Harry.”
The conservative think tank says it demonstrates Harry received special treatment from the Biden administration after he and Meghan moved to California.
Either way, it appears Harry is safe in Montecito for now.
