DONALD Trump would back legal action if Prince Harry lied on his visa application and he should be “very worried”, insiders have warned.
The US President previously hinted he may deport Meghan Markle’s husband amid claims he lied about past drug use on visa forms.
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But Mr Trump then said: “I don’t want to do that. I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
Years of insults include the Duchess of Sussex calling Mr Trump a “misogynist” while he has labelled her “nasty”.
Now a source has told The Mail on Sunday Mr Trump remains committed to Harry facing a criminal prosecution if he is found to have lied.
They said: “President Trump has made it very clear that if Harry is found to have not told the truth on his visa application, then he could face prosecution.”
The source added: “President Trump has said he won’t deport Harry but there is no doubt he would support a prosecution.
“The word in Washington is he should be very worried indeed. There is no love lost between the Sussexes and President Trump.”
Harry’s reference to taking cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in his book Spare prompted a conservative Washington DC think tank to question why he was allowed into the US in 2020.
US judge Carl Nichols ruled in September 2024 that the public did not have a strong interest in disclosure of the duke’s immigration records.
But after a fresh challenge, he agreed earlier this month to release the “maximum amount possible” about how Harry, 40, got into the US.
In an order published this week, Judge Nichols formally told the government to state by next Thursday (February 20) which legal documents related to the case can be disclosed.
He said that after that “the Court will determine what portions of those materials can be produced to Heritage”.
Mr Trump, who can intervene and ask for the documents to be released, previously warned that Harry could face consequences if he lied about taking drugs on his US visa application.
The Heritage Foundation brought the lawsuit against the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) after a Freedom of Information Act request was rejected, with the think tank claiming it was of “immense public interest”.
In his controversial memoir, the duke said cocaine “didn’t do anything for me”, adding: “Marijuana is different, that actually really did help me.”
How the Royal drama gripped UK and beyond
JAN 8, 2020: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announce they are to “step back as senior members” of the Royal Family and divide their time between the UK and North America.
JAN 18: Buckingham Palace announces an agreement has been reached for Harry “to step back from royal duties, including official military appointments”.
JAN 20: The Palace announces Harry and Meghan will no longer use their HRH titles and will not receive public funds for royal duties. The couple say they intend to repay £2.4million of taxpayer money for the refurbishment of Frogmore Cottage, which will remain their UK family home.
MAR 3: Harry and the Queen meet for a four-hour conversation about Megxit.
MAR 9: Meghan and Harry attend the Commonwealth Day service – alongside William and Kate –their final royal event before giving up royal duties.
MAR 27: The couple move to Los Angeles after a brief stay in Canada.
JUNE: They buy an £11million mansion in Montecito, California.
SEPT: Netflix announces a huge $100million deal with the couple.
NOV: In an article in the New York Times, Meghan reveals she suffered a miscarriage four months earlier.
MAR 7, 2021: The couple give a US TV interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which the Duchess reveals her suicidal thoughts and accuses a member of the Royal Family of racism.
MAR 8: The Palace responds, saying the race issues raised are “concerning” and “while some recollections may vary” the matters will be “taken very seriously”.
APR 17: Harry attends the funeral of his grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh.
JUNE 4: Daughter Lilibet is born in a hospital in Santa Barbara, California.
JULY 1: Harry and William unite to unveil a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace.
JUNE 2022: The brothers come together for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and again two months later for her funeral. The state occasion is Meghan’s final visit to the UK.
DEC: Netflix series Harry & Meghan airs. The Duke says in one episode it had been “terrifying” to have his brother “scream and shout” at him about their future.
JAN 8, 2023: Harry is interviewed by ITV to publicise his controversial book Spare – published two days later – claiming it was “Meghan versus Kate”.
APR: Harry has a “heart-to-heart” talk with dad Charles before agreeing to attend the King’s Coronation in London.
MAY 6: Arriving alone for the ceremony, he sits two rows behind his brother and leaves soon after the service.
JUNE: Harry becomes the first senior royal in more than 130 years to give evidence in court, when he appears at the High Court for his case against Mirror Group Newspapers.
JULY: Streaming giant Spotify announces it is parting ways with the Suss-exes’ Archewell Audio brand, above, in a “mutual decision”.
SEPT: Harry rejects an offer to spend the anniversary of the Queen’s death with his father at Balmoral.
FEB 2024: Harry flies to the UK to be with his father. They meet for half an hour before Harry flies home. He does not meet William.
MAR: Meghan launches lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard, which posts just nine times on Instagram.
APR: A judge brands Harry’s legal appeal for taxpayer-funded security following his move abroad “frankly hopeless”.
MAY: Harry pays a brief visit to London for an event held two miles from where Charles was staying. They do not meet.
JAN 1, 2025: Meghan relaunches her Instagram account with a video shot by Harry on a beach near their US home.
The Heritage Foundation’s lawsuit argued that US law “generally renders such a person inadmissible for entry” to the country.
The think tank also said answers on the duke’s prior drug use in his visa application should have been disclosed as they could raise questions over the US government’s integrity.
In the DHS’s response to the legal claim, it said: “Much like health, financial, or employment information, a person’s immigration information is private personal information.”
The submissions previously made by lawyer John Bardo on behalf of DHS also said no “publicly available information, shows that Prince Harry was ever convicted for a drug-related offence”.
Mr Bardo added that any suggestion from the Heritage Foundation of wrongdoing on behalf of the US government was “purely speculative”.
Mr Trump said in a GB News interview with Nigel Farage in March last year that Harry should not receive preferential treatment.
Asked if the duke should have “special privileges” if he is found to have lied in his application, Mr Trump said: “No. We’ll have to see if they know something about the drugs, and if he lied they’ll have to take appropriate action.”
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