Trump Responds to Meghan Markle's 2016 Comments: 'I Didn't Know That She Was Nasty'
Meghan Markle’s Trump-bashing rant in 2016 came as a surprise to President Donald Trump, he said in an Oval Office interview published Saturday, just days ahead of his trip to Britain.
Trump arrives in the United Kingdom on Monday, where he will meet with Queen Elizabeth and Princes Charles and Harry during his three-day state visit. He will not, however, meet with Markle.
The public reason for her absence is that she is caring for her three-week-old son, Archie.
Trump was asked about comments Markle made in 2016 during a recent interview with The U.K. Sun.
“I didn’t know that. What can I say? I didn’t know that she was nasty,” Trump said.
Markle lambasted Trump in a 2016 interview on “The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore.”
“Yes, of course, Trump is divisive, think about female voters alone, right?” she said. “I think it was in 2012 the Republican Party lost the female vote by 12 points. That is a huge number and with as misogynistic as Trump is, and so vocal about it, that is a huge chunk of it.”
Markle, a Los Angeles native, made her contempt for Trump clear in the 2016 interview.
“You’re not just voting for a woman if it’s [then-Democrat presidential nominee] Hillary [Clinton]. Yes, you’re voting because she’s a woman, but certainly, because Trump has made it easy to see that you don’t really want that kind of world that he’s painting,” she said then.
In his interview with The Sun, Trump was also told about Markle’s comment from 2016 that she might move to Canada if Trump won the election.
“A lot of people are moving here,” Trump replied.
Trump said he expected Markle would make “a very good” princess.
When Trump was asked about Markle becoming a British royal, he replied, “It is nice, and I am sure she will do excellently.”
“She will be very good. I hope she does [succeed],” he said.
The president also said he was looking forward to his visit to Britain.
“It will be great seeing the queen for the second time,” he said.
“We had a very good talk the first one. We had a lot of interesting things to say. It really was a great visit. My mother also loved the queen.”
Trump’s four adult children are joining the president and first lady Melania Trump on the visit to Britain.
Trump spoke of a “next generation” meeting between Ivanka, Tiffany, Eric and Donald Jr., and Princes William and Harry.
“I think my children will be meeting them. It would be nice,” Trump said.
Trump also waded into domestic British politics by noting his favorable opinion of Boris Johnson, one of the potential candidates to replace outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May.
“I actually have studied it very hard. I know the different players,” Trump told The Sun. “But I think Boris would do a very good job. I think he would be excellent.”
“I like him. I have always liked him. I don’t know that he is going to be chosen, but I think he is a very good guy, a very talented person,” Trump said.
“He has been very positive about me and our country.”
Trump said that he has been asked for endorsements in the British contest.
“Other people have asked me for an endorsement too. I have been asked for endorsements,” he said, later adding, “Well, I don’t want to say who but other people have asked me for endorsements, yes.”
“I could help anybody if I endorse them. I mean, we’ve had endorsement where they have gone up for 40, 50 points at a shot,” he said. “Now that is here, but I understand over there would be a great endorsement.”
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