Prince Harry and Meghan Markle should not take sides on the “polarised” race for the White House, a former Republican Congressman has told GB News.
Charlie Dent, who served in the House of Representatives from 2005 to 2018, also claimed endorsements from star-studded celebrities ahead of November 5 carry far less weight than many believe.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not join a number of A-listers at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
However, the royal couple have been outspoken about US politics.
Meghan and Harry urged against endorsing Kamala Harris ahead of White House race against Donald TrumpGETTYMeghan was even tipped to launch her own bid for political office after urging Americans to vote on the issue of women’s reproductive rights in the 2022 Midterm Elections.
Speaking to GB News, Dent explained how the Sussexes need to tread carefully.
He said: “I really don’t think most Americans sit up at night worrying what Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have to say about American politics, or British politics for that matter.
“I know over in the UK that the royals are meant to stay out of politics. They do that sometimes successfully, I guess, sometimes not.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Donald Trump has launched attacks on Harris Reuters“Queen Elizabeth was pretty careful but Charles dabbled in it a bit more than some would like.
“In terms of Meghan and Harry, I don’t think there are many Americans who are particularly concerned about their political opinions.
“Politicians in the United States believe endorsements matter, I tend to think they don’t matter that much, they really don’t.
“In fact, in some cases, they have the opposite effect, they drive people away and maybe even hurt the branding of the person doing the endorsing.
Kamala Harris Reuters“In a polarised country, it’s not always the smartest thing in the world to take sides if you’re trying to advance yourself on some cause when half the country thinks it’s unpopular or vehemently disagrees with it.”
Dent, who is now playing his part in the Our Republican Legacy group hoping to steer the Grand Old Party away from MAGA Trumpism, also claimed businesses can avoid a backlash or boycott by keeping quiet.
In direct advice to Meghan and Harry, the 64-year-old added: “My advice to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle [would be] I’d be somewhat circumspect.
“I was just over in the UK a couple of weeks ago, it doesn’t sound like they’re particularly popular over there and I don’t know if they want to do things that would make them unpopular over here.”
Elon Musk has become more politically active in recent months ReutersThe long list of celebrity appearances included speeches from stars like Oprah, Eva Longoria, Steve Kerr and Stevie Wonder.
Performances by Pink, John Legend, Jason Isbell, The Chicks, Lil Jon and several others were sprinkled throughout each night of the event.
However, there have also been some high-profile figures endorsing Trump’s campaign.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is probably the leading celebrity supporting and donating to the 45th President.
EM: “By Elon Musk endorsing Trump as publicly as he did, I believe it has created problems for him at Telsa.”
“Trump is basically saying electric vehicles will bring about the demise of the American automotive industry … Elon Musk’s main business is electric vehicles and now X. So, is he helping his business interests by jumping in so publicly?
Charlie Dent speaking to GB News
GB NEWS
“I’m not so sure the answer is yes, at least on the EV side of the equation. He’s playing a role, he’s a wealthy guy, he can afford to play.”
There are growing concerns that Musk’s endorsement of Trump could damage his own profit margins.
Tesla last month reported a 45 per cent drop in quarterly profits compared to the same period in 2023.
Prince Harry also appeared to take a veiled swipe at Trump ally Musk after the Tesla CEO became embroiled in a row with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Speaking during his four-day quasi-royal tour of Colombia, the Duke of Sussex said: “It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake.
“In an ideal world, those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts.
“For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.”