Prince Harry fires back at Trump over NATO criticism: 'I lost friends' in Afghanistan
Prince Harry, a former British Army officer who served two tours in Afghanistan, is pushing back after President Donald Trump questioned whether NATO allies really showed up for the United States after 9/11.
During a Jan. 22 interview with FOX Business, Trump raised doubts about NATO’s reliability, arguing that the United States has long shouldered the bulk of the burden while allies remained largely out of harm’s way.
"We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did — they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines," Trump said to FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo.
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The comments drew a sharp response from the Duke of Sussex, who served 10 years in the British Army.
In a statement issued through his spokesperson to Fox News Digital, Harry underscored NATO’s response to 9/11 — and the sacrifices made by allied forces.
"In 2001, NATO invoked Article 5 for the first — and only — time in history. It meant that every allied nation was obliged to stand with the United States in Afghanistan, in pursuit of our shared security. Allies answered that call," he said.
Article 5 is NATO’s collective defense clause that deems an attack on one member as an attack on all.
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Harry then shifted from policy to personal experience, emphasizing that the mission was fatal for many soldiers who were deployed.
"I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed."
Harry noted that the toll extended far beyond the battlefield, reshaping families and futures across allied nations.
"Thousands of lives were changed forever. Mothers and fathers buried sons and daughters. Children were left without a parent. Families are left carrying the cost."
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Harry closed his statement by calling for accuracy and respect when discussing the war and the sacrifices made by U.S. allies.
"Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace."
Prince Harry served in the British Army for 10 years and founded the Invictus Games, a sporting event for wounded service members, in 2014.
Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. They cited the intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace as the reasons for their exit.