Tucker Carlson has said that "Meghan Markle does not represent Black people in the United States" and was used as a proxy by people who do not like Donald Trump.
He made his remarks during a collaboration with Piers Morgan in Saudi Arabia in which the pair interviewed each other.
At the time, they were discussing Trump's election victory, with Carlson saying: "It was a whole class of people whose cart was being overturned by Trump and they used, kind of, symbolic figures like Meghan Markle, as you found out, as their proxies to hold power but those proxies never represented the groups they supposedly represented.
"Meghan Markle does not represent Black people in the United States, I don't know if you knew that?"
Morgan replied: "No question she doesn't. Don't worry, I'm very familiar. She doesn't represent anybody other than a very elite hypocritical group of people who are really going to go down in history as the most hypocritical group of people ever."
Why It Matters
Race has always been a major backdrop to the discussion of Meghan and her relationship with the royals, dating back to the period when her relationship with Prince Harry was first announced.
Her account to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 about an unnamed royal commenting on her unborn child's skin tone sparked a global debate about racism.
There was a time when Carlson's comments would likely have sparked a major backlash and the fact they did not meet a stronger response online demonstrates how far the sands have shifted in less than four years.
African American Perspectives
That said, some may still disagree with Carlson and there have been times before when Meghan has been praised for articulating relatable experiences of racism.
Gaye Theresa Johnson, associate professor in the Department of African American Studies at UCLA, told PBS: "White supremacy seeks to isolate you, make you feel like no one is listening and no one is supporting you. It uses that as a tool to keep in power.
"And so when you aren't validated in your feelings or feel supported, that does real harm."
"It's an insult when people are incredulous about the racism people like Meghan Markle experienced," she continued, "because that incredulity speaks volumes about what people refuse to see, what is right in front of their eyes all the time and that some people have to navigate daily."
And in a 2023 opinion piece for CNN, Sophie A. Nelson wrote: "Black women like me, who sat back and watched the media onslaught against Meghan Markle, have been nodding knowingly over the past few years.
"We have seen it all before. We live it every day in the form of microaggressions and outright racism.
"African Americans were taken aback—but not too many of us were truly surprised—when she faced the wrath of a British tabloid press and more subtle disapproval by some members of royal family itself."
In Britain, a YouGov survey at the time of King Charles III's coronation found Meghan was the most popular royal among Black people, liked by 63 percent.
Prince Harry was second on 60 percent followed by Prince William on 48 percent in the May 2023 data.
What to Know
It is not entirely clear what Carlson means when he says Meghan was used as a proxy to hold power but his comment was part of a wider allegation that "liberal white ladies" used "race politics to make everyone shut up."
Morgan has said in the past he was forced out of his previous job as a presenter of Good Morning Britain after a complaint from Meghan.
He had questioned her account of having suicidal thoughts during a period of negative media coverage in January 2019, while pregnant with her son Prince Archie.
"When I left Good Morning Britain," Morgan told Carlson, "and got Markled as I call it, you gave me the chance to have my say afterwards. You were the first one to ask."
"That was the most insane thing I've ever seen," Carlson replied, "and when that happened to you I thought to myself, I actually asked one of my producers 'well what did he do?' and they told me that he like publicly doubted Meghan Markle's saintliness or something, like I don't think she's actually Jesus."
Morgan said: "I've never felt happier professionally than I do right now. I own my YouTube channel, I own, you know, everything about it. The only person that can fire me is myself."
What People Are Saying
Tucker Carlson said: "Meghan Markle does not represent Black people in the United States."
Piers Morgan said: "She doesn't represent anybody other than a very elite hypocritical group of people."
What Happens Next
There was no immediate sign of a backlash in the hours after the clip of Tucker Carlson dropped on X, formerly Twitter.
Harry and Meghan currently appear to have adopted a more restrained PR strategy and did not comment during the recent presidential election, which saw Donald Trump beat Kamala Harris.
Carlson's comments will likely not trigger any follow-up of the kind Morgan described when he was at Good Morning Britain.
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Camilla, William and Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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