Former President Donald Trump has risked reigniting tensions with Prince Harry after making dismissive remarks about Lesotho, a country the royal has long supported.
During his joint address to Congress on Tuesday night, Trump listed programs he had cut from U.S. financial aid in an effort to reduce the federal deficit. Among them was an $8 million initiative promoting LGBTQI+ rights in Lesotho.
“Eight million dollars to promote LGBTQI+ in the African nation of Lesotho, which nobody has ever heard of,” Trump said, prompting laughter from some Republican lawmakers.
The Duke of Sussex, who resides in California with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, co-founded the charity Sentebale to support vulnerable children in Lesotho, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS. He established the organization alongside Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso, a close friend and member of Lesotho’s royal family.
Trump has clashed with Harry before, previously threatening to take “appropriate action” if the prince had misrepresented past drug use on his U.S. visa application. Sources close to Harry have maintained that he answered truthfully.
Although Trump later backed down from the threat, telling the New York Post, “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible,” his long-standing disdain for Meghan Markle remains evident.
While Trump has been openly critical of the Duchess of Sussex—who once called him “divisive and misogynistic”—he has expressed admiration for King Charles. Some observers speculate that Trump’s respect for the king may be a reason he has refrained from escalating his feud with Harry.
Trump recently accepted an invitation for a state visit to the U.K., personally extended by King Charles and delivered by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The visit would mark Trump’s second state trip to the U.K., having previously been welcomed by Queen Elizabeth II during his first term.
Shortly after news of the invitation, Harry appeared to take a veiled swipe at Trump and billionaire Elon Musk during a speech at the Upfront Summit in Los Angeles.
“Now this would be a great time to talk about how a sickness in leadership across sectors—from politics to tech—can have a detrimental effect on millions, if not billions, of people,” Harry remarked. “When service to others is sacrificed for personal gain. When basic morals and empathy are abandoned in favor of power and control. But I’m not gonna get into all that now!”
While Harry did not name names, some interpreted his remarks as a critique of both Trump and Musk.
Lesotho’s government also pushed back against Trump’s comments, expressing disappointment over his suggestion that “nobody has ever heard of” the southern African nation.
“It is surprising and disappointing that he claimed no one knows Lesotho, especially given that the U.S. has an embassy here,” said Lejone Mpotjoane, Lesotho’s foreign minister, in a statement to the Associated Press. “One day, America may need Lesotho’s support.”
Mpotjoane further told The Times, “It is belittling to talk about another country like that, and it should not happen.”
