The former US Vice President, Kamala Harris, has been issued a future warning about any potential endorsements from The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Tab Berg, a Republican political strategist based in California, is among those saying that Harris would be wise to avoid wheeling out the Duchess in particular for campaigns.
According to the MailOnline, Mr Berg said: “In general, celebrity endorsements are now a net negative. It’s not a working formula. There’s a tiny number of voters that look for what celebrities say.”
He added: “I don’t think any of the serious players [in California] would take [Meghan] seriously.”
It comes as Harris suggested she’s been having conversations about her next political steps, as California prepares to elect its next governor in 2026 and Democrats search for a presidential candidate to run in 2028, according to CBS News.
The political strategist said backing from Meghan Markle could hurt Harris’ campaign, while an endorsement from Prince Harry would have “zero” impact on her chances of victory.
He said: “If Kamala runs, I’m 100% sure she would hop on a Meghan Markle endorsement. But my advice would be to downplay it, don’t do a public event, use it to raise money. Voters have no interest. It’s a net negative.”
Matt Shupe, spokesman for the California Republican Party, also told the outlet that voters are “more concerned about how a candidate will govern” than who they pay to say “nice things”.
It comes as Harris is reportedly mulling a gubernatorial run in 2026 to replace Gavin Newsom, who is coming to the end of his second term.
Previously, in the run-up to the 2020 election, the Duchess of Sussex said she was pleased to see more racial representation in the presidential election campaign.
“I’m so excited to see that kind of representation. You know, for me, being biracial, growing up, whether it was a doll or a person in office, you need to see someone who looks like you in some capacity,” said Meghan.
“As many of us believe, you can only be what you can see. And in the absence of that, how can you aspire to something greater than what you see in your own world? I think maybe now we’re starting to break through in a different way.”
Meghan Markle revealed whether or not she wants a career in politics this week when she appeared on her friend, Jamie Kern Lima’s, podcast.
When asked directly in the podcast interview if she would ever consider running for office, Meghan laughed and replied: “No.” Her friend and podcast host Jamie then asked: “Never?” Meghan said: “Never. Oh god, I mean, you can say never say never, but no,” adding in a decisive five-word comment: “I’m not interested in that.”
