Kamala Harris may be wishing that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stay quiet during the presidential campaign this year.
This comes as a former US politician warned that an endorsement from the former royals could backfire against the Democrat Party nominee.
Ex-Republican Congressman Charlie Dent told GB News that Meghan and Harry were “not particularly popular” in the US and any endorsement from the couple would have no impact on the presidential race – or even help Ms Harris’ rival Donald Trump.
There had been speculation of a surprise appearance from the couple leading into the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. However, the couple missed out on the four-day event, which featured several A-listers, including Oprah and Stevie Wonder.
Meghan has been rumoured in the past to be considering a political career after urging Americans to vote on the issue of women’s reproductive rights in the 2022 Midterm Elections.
Mr Dent said endorsements can sometimes “have the opposite effect, they drive people away and maybe even hurt the branding of the person doing the endorsing”.
He continued: “In terms of Meghan and Harry, I don’t think there are many Americans who are particularly concerned about their political opinions.
“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.
“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.”
He said keeping quiet may also benefit the Sussexes in the long term, adding: “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.”
Polls suggest that Kamala Harris is now in a tight race with Mr Trump.
The Vice President’s speech at the DNC on Thursday night drew an average of 28.9 million viewers across cable television, about 500,000 more viewers than tuned in to hear former President Trump at the Republican convention.
She has already made history as the first black and Asian-American woman to lead a major party’s presidential ticket.
