The Duchess of Sussex called US senators on their private lines to lobby for the inclusion of paid parental leave in Biden’s massive spending bill, and critics have slammed her for “trading in on her royal title.”
Senator Shelley Moore was driving when Meghan Markle called her from a blocked number.
“Honestly … I thought it was Sen. [Joe] Manchin. His calls come in blocked,” she said of her West Virginia colleague. “And she goes ‘Sen. Capito?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘This is Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.’ I couldn’t figure out how she got my number.”
Republican senator Susan Collins received a similar call. “I was happy to talk with her. But I’m more interested in what the people of Maine are telling me about it,” Collins remarked. “Much to my surprise, she called me on my private line and she introduced herself as the Duchess of Sussex, which is kind of ironic.”
Critics haven’t reacted kindly to Markle using her royal title to meddle in US politics, particularly on the other side of the pond.
“If you have to cold-call someone, impress them with the force of your argument. Not by trading on the royal title of an institution you and your husband have done so much to undermine,” sniped GB News host Colin Brazier.
“Meghan Markle the American citizen can call senators all day long it’s her right as an American but Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex has no place meddling in US politics,” a social media user tweeted. “The use of her title to influence policy here in America is WRONG!”
Markle recently flexed her title when she sent an open letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging them to pass paid parental leave on the federal level.
“The families you represent need your strong leadership,” she wrote. “Paid leave should be a national right, rather than a patchwork option.”
Democrat Senator Kristen Gillibrand revealed that she gave out her colleague’s personal numbers to the duchess.
“I talked to each of the women senators and let them know that she’s going to reach out, because she only completed two of the calls,” Gillibrand commented. “She’s going to call some others, so I let them know in advance.”
Clearly Markle’s efforts have had an effect, Pelosi announced that four weeks of paid family leave have been added into the $1.75 trillion spending bill on Wednesday.
wpDiscuz
MeAgain needs to shut her fly trap and spend some time raising her children; she might even try mending a few fences. Perhaps she should start with her own family and then whole heartedly apologize to HMTQ and the rest of the Royal Family, that she has besmirched so badly.
Why would anyone listen to this want to be famous tart.
I thought they gave up all their royalty titles. Guess it’s alright when it is convient to use. What a f****** phony POS this idiot is. I wonder if the other senators have cut gillebrand’s tongue out yet. I’d think they would be quite angry unless they like being contacted by a useless manipulater.