'Harry betrayed the Queen': Donald Trump says prince's behaviour is 'unforgivable' as he wades into royal row
25 February 2024, 13:41
Donald Trump has claimed that Prince Harry "betrayed the Queen" as he waded into a row over the duke's US visa application.
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The argument over Harry's visa came after a US think tank sued to see his application to see if he had lied about taking drugs.
The Duke of Sussex admitted to taking cannabis, cocaine and magic mushrooms in his memoir Spare.
But the US government said that the admissions are not proof of drug abuse, and may have been a ploy to sell books.
Mr Trump, likely to be the Republican candidate to stand against Joe Biden in the presidential election this November, criticised the response.
"I wouldn't protect him," the former president told the Express. "He betrayed the Queen. That's unforgivable. He would be on his own if it was down to me.
He added: "I think they have been too gracious to him after what he has done."
US Conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation brought a legal case to unseal the application.
They said in a court filing: "Widespread and continuous media coverage has surfaced the question of whether DHS properly admitted the Duke of Sussex in light of the fact that he has publicly admitted to the essential elements of a number of drug offenses."
Applicants for US visas are asked if they have taken drugs or been a drug addict. That doesn't necessarily mean they will be denied a visa, but the think tank wants to see if Harry told the truth, and whether he was given preferential treatment.
A lawyer for the US government said Harry's visa application should remain private. The judge will make a ruling in the coming weeks.
Harry said earlier this month that he had considered applying to become a US citizen. He said: "American citizenship is a thought that has crossed my mind but isn't something that's a high priority for me right now."
Sources close to Harry have previously suggested that he gave the truth on his visa application.
Mr Trump emerged victorious from the South Carolina primary on Saturday night, his fourth straight victory.
He is the clear favourite to take the Republican nomination again, although he faces several court cases of his own.
