KEY POINTS

  • Donald Trump said he is "not a fan" of Meghan Markle and believes Prince Harry has been "used horribly" by his wife
  • The former president also claimed that the Duchess of Sussex "ruined" Harry's relationship with his family
  • Trump's comments about Markle received mixed responses on Twitter

Donald Trump's latest comments about Meghan Markle, including accusations that the duchess has been "disrespectful" to Queen Elizabeth and the royal family, were met with mixed reactions on social media.

The former president, 75, launched a barrage of criticism at Markle, 40, during a wide-ranging interview with British broadcaster and former politician Nigel Farage that aired on U.K.'s GB News. Trump claimed that he was "not a fan" of the Duchess of Sussex and that he believes Prince Harry has been "used horribly" by his wife.

"I think Harry's been used and been used terribly. I think it's ruined his relationship with his family, and it hurts the Queen," Trump was quoted by Daily Mail as saying in the interview.

He continued, "I think [Meghan's] been very disrespectful to the Queen, who's such a great woman, such a great person, a historic person. I think she's very disrespectful to the royal family and most importantly to the Queen."

Twitter users were divided on Trump's accusations against Markle, who is currently living in Montecito, California, with Prince Harry and their two children Archie, 2, and Lili, 5 months, after the Sussexes stepped down from royal duties last year.

Some appeared to share Trump's views of Markle, with one person commenting, "Well, he's not wrong. It was clear from the start she wanted the royal connection to further her image and profile."

"When he's right, he's right," another wrote of the former president, while a third person commented, "He said that [100 emoji] CORRECT!!!"

"First words out of his mouth I’ve actually agreed with," another netizen wrote.

Other Twitter users criticized Trump, with some pointing out that he previously made headlines for walking in front of Queen Elizabeth as they inspected her honor guard during a visit to the U.K. in 2018. According to the BBC’s list of dos and don’ts for meeting the Queen, people turning their back to the monarch is considered rude.

"I don’t think [Trump] is the best person to talk about disrespect," one person commented with a rolling eyes emoji.

"Says the man who broke royal protocol by shaking hands and walking in front of the Queen...after making her wait," another user wrote.

"Meghan is Black and a woman, so of course, Trump has a problem with her. Any woman who doesn't know her place and bow to him he hates. He would hate me," another Twitter user claimed.

A fourth person commented, "I don’t understand why [Meghan] gets so much hate."

This was not the first time Trump has dissed Markle. During a White House press briefing in September last year, the then-president spoke out about the former actress and Prince Harry after the couple made a video about the importance of voting.

"I'm not a fan of hers," Trump said of Markle, adding, "And I would say this — and she probably has heard that — but I wish a lot of luck to Harry because he’s gonna need it."

In March 2020, Trump also addressed Prince Harry and Markle's reported security concerns before the couple formally stepped down as senior working royals and moved to the U.S.

At the time, Trump tweeted that he was "a great friend and admirer of the Queen and the United Kingdom" and that the Sussexes "must pay" for their own security.

Prince Harry and Markle also released a statement at the time saying that they had no plans to ask for publicly funded security in the U.S.

Donald Trump, pictured in his final days in office, is the first president since Herbert Hoover nearly a century ago to lose the House, the Senate and the White House during a single term
Donald Trump, pictured in his final days in office, is the first president since Herbert Hoover nearly a century ago to lose the House, the Senate and the White House during a single term AFP / MANDEL NGAN