Meghan Markle is denying a report that she tried to turn Kamala Harris’ rise to the vice presidency into a royal jump into the U.S. Senate.
A source with Markle told The New York Post that the Duchess of Sussex did not want Harris’ California seat, rejecting claims that Meghan met with Gov. Gavin Newsom while the appointment was still in play.
The alleged Senate push was tied to an Oct. 19, 2020, meeting between Newsom, Harry and Meghan, shortly before Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump.
Newsom’s office said in a memorandum that the California Democrat met the couple for an “introductory meeting.”
Of all Harry and Meghan’s delusions, looking at Kamala Harris and thinking, “Hey, I could be a U.S. Senator” isn’t exactly a wild leap. pic.twitter.com/TwapFtmq4J
— Erik Telford (@ErikTelford) August 20, 2026
No public version of the conversation has explained what was discussed.
People cited by the Post said Meghan wanted the meeting presented as a “welcome-to-California” conversation for the royals, while also seeking the seat Harris would give up if Biden won the election.
Newsom ultimately picked California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who went on to win a full six-year term in 2022.
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The Post account placed the Newsom meeting inside a larger set of claims about Harry and Meghan trying to gain access to Democratic power players after leaving royal life.
After Biden entered the White House, the couple requested a 2021 Oval Office meeting, but staff rejected it, the outlet reported.
Biden sources said the meeting raised concerns because it could have caused problems with the UK prime minister and the royal family.
The Bidens’ affection for Queen Elizabeth II also mattered, according to the report.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden “didn’t want to get into a family squabble,” the Post reported.
The Sussexes allegedly made another high-profile ask after the queen’s funeral.
Harry and Meghan wanted to fly back to the United States on Air Force One with the Bidens, according to the report. They were refused.
The couple had also hired advisers from Obama and Biden circles, including former White House press secretary and current MS Now host Jen Psaki, the outlet said.
Miranda Barbot, Harry’s current chief of staff, had worked for Obama and served as the couple’s White House contact point, according to the report.
One Biden source told the Post that Harry and Meghan had “worn out their welcome” with the Bidens, citing the fact that neither Biden kept attending Harry’s Invictus Games after 2021.
The latest political claims hit while Harry and Meghan were making another dramatic turn in their public life.
The couple said Wednesday they are moving back to Britain this month, six years after relocating to the United States.
The plan reached several outlets before it was officially public, including one account that linked the move to Harry and Meghan’s tensions with Trump.
Archie and Lilibet will attend a British school while the family spends an “extended period” in the UK.
Harry and Meghan will live in a non-royal residence and will not return to royal duties.
Harry informed King Charles on Sunday that he planned to come back to the UK later this month.
Trump allies quickly made the return about the president. Katie Miller, wife of White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, wrote on X that the Sussexes were leaving America because of Trump.
“They are moving back to Britain because they don’t like President Trump,” Miller wrote.
She shared a People Magazine report saying Harry and Meghan “have made no secret of their disillusionment with the current White House” ahead of the midterm elections.
Miller also wrote in separate posts that Meghan “always just wanted to be a celebrity” and claimed the couple was “broke.”
Megyn Kelly answered right-wing commentator Dan Wootton’s post about “Megxit” being “reversed” with her own sendoff.
“We’ve done our time here in America my dear friend!” Kelly wrote on X.
Don Lemon used an Instagram video to question why both Sussexes were going back to Britain together, saying he had expected Harry might return after a separation.
“What? What is going on here?” Lemon said.
‼️ They fled ‘racist Britain,’ did the Netflix specials, the Oprah interviews, the endless interviews about how unsafe and toxic it was…
NOW the kids are starting British school in September and the family is relocating.
Don Lemon’s reaction is currently buffering.
Pass the… https://t.co/uiOkZpEn1Z pic.twitter.com/RIsGcGdNP1
— 💫Angel Kaay Lo💫 (@kaay_lo) August 20, 2026
The former CNN host also brought up the Oprah interview and the Sussexes’ claim that a royal family member had expressed concern about how dark their unborn baby’s skin might be.
Lemon said he was “rooting” for Harry and Meghan, but told them to make a decision and move on. “Good luck. Whatever,” he said.
Jenna Bush Hager also sounded unconvinced on the “Today” show, saying she first thought the move was a “prank.”
She said the couple had made any return harder by the way they exited.
“It’s a lesson for everybody. When you leave something and say you’re never going back… [don’t] light a match,” Jenna said.
Sheinelle Jones reduced the Sussexes’ original America move to a quick imitation.
“They were like, ‘We’re out, hello US,’” Sheinelle said.
The return would bring Harry and Meghan back to Britain six years after they quit royal work and shocked the country.
Queen Elizabeth II later said, after a 12-month review, that they would not “continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.”
She also closed the door on a “half-in, half-out” role.
Harry’s honorary military titles were removed afterward.