There’s not much that connects Prince Harry and Donald Trump, except for being known for the bright orange coloring of their heads and for possessing an innate belief that it is their god-given right to rule. Even so, the Royal prince and the royal pain have become unexpectedly linked thanks to the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing legal battle.
In an unlikely twist, Harry might owe Trump for saving his bacon, albeit indirectly, as the simple-minded MAGA master’s past run-ins with the U.S. government has set a precedent that could help Harry out in his own troubles as he attempts to keep the details of his U.S. visa private.
Prince Harry’s visa row — and Trump’s role in it — explained
Prince Harry’s move to America has caused no end of headaches for the British Royal family, and it turns out having a prince in the country hasn’t done the U.S. government any favors either.
The Heritage Foundation, a think-tank based in Washington, is attempting to sue the government into releasing Prince Harry’s immigration records, from back when he first got his U.S. visa in 2020. What’s got the Heritage Foundation foaming at the mouth is that Harry admitted in his memoir Spare that he has dabbled in cocaine, marijuana, and magic mushrooms in the past.
As it’s common practice for American immigrants to be asked whether they’ve ever used recreational drugs before entering the country, the Heritage Foundation seeks to determine whether Harry declared this to the authorities or if he was given preferential treatment due to his Royal nature. The Foundation has described its lawsuit as “a case about whether the government provides special treatment for high profile celebrities.”
The case has now hit a snag, however, and Trump is to blame (or thank, if you’re Prince Harry). Attorney John Bardo, who is representing the Department of Homeland Security, argued in court that calls for Harry’s private immigration records to be released publicly would be unethical due to a similar situation involving Trump. He cited the time when details of Trump’s interactions with the FBI were allowed to be kept private.
“They found that President Trump, from when he was a private citizen, his privacy interests outweighed any public interest that there may be in previous interactions he may have had with the FBI,” Bardo argued. “And I would argue, if President Trump has a privacy interest in that kind of interaction with the government, Prince Harry’s privacy interest is even greater.”
Donald Trump inadvertently helping the Biden administration from getting sued and having a member of the Royal family owe him one? Something has gone very wrong with the timeline.