• As Meghan and Harry have edged closer to serious political discourse in their speeches, they’re running the risk of being slapped down.
• It didn’t take long for that to happen, as President Trump swatted aside a question about the couple with ease while clapping back at Meghan Markle in hilarious fashion.
• How will the couple proceed from here? A battle of words with Trump is only ever going to end with one winner.

We’ve seen Meghan Markle and Prince Harry both slowly venture into new territory for a few months now.

Social and political territory.

At the moment, the whole thing reminds me of one of those nature shows on television. You know the ones. Where the camera focuses on a couple of unsuspecting zebras just wandering into an open field?

Initially, they seem excited and rather taken by their new surroundings. There’s a nice breeze; they can hear birds chirping. All is well. They can make their new surroundings work!

It’s usually around then that the camera pans left to show a lion hiding in the tall grass, waiting to pounce on the clueless, dim-witted zebras.

That describes Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s attempted foray into US politics.

It’s all fun and games when you’re recording Zoom videos offering fluffy, buzzword-strewn, feel-good word salads that don’t really mean anything.

But eventually, you’re going to catch the eye of the grizzled lion.

Meghan Markle & Prince Harry shifted gears from platitudes to actual politics

Up until recently, Harry and Meghan had been an amusing sideshow. They were making speeches the likes of which you’d expect from a Miss World winner circa 1985.

World peace, end hunger, racism is terrible. All things that every sensible and intelligent person can get behind. Condescending smiles and virtual thumbs-ups were the order of the day.

But eventually, they would have to stick their heads above the royal palace parapet and say something of substance.

That time came when the couple recorded their video for the Time 100 event. The zebras were getting brave.

The message was, don’t vote for President Trump.

With their Time 100 speech, Harry and Meghan have ventured into unknown territory

Suddenly, the audience for their nonsense widened from bemused royal fans and diehard Sussex Squad members to the broader, more politically aware population on both sides of the US political divide.

The idea of a pampered British Prince telling US voters what to do got some backs up.

Clearly, the swanky new LA PR firm that the Hollywood Royals had hired forgot to tell Prince Harry that the last member of his family who tried to tell American citizens what to do ended up paying a hefty price.

The Americans didn’t like King George preaching to them, and they’re unlikely to take any of Prince Harry’s nonsense either.

Within days of the speech hitting the news, up stepped the President, who never misses the chance to slap down his opponents.

Reporter: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chimed in on the U.S. election and essentially encouraging people to vote for Joe Biden. I wanted to get your reaction to that.”

Trump: “I’m not a fan of hers…I wish a lot of luck to Harry because he’s going to need it.” pic.twitter.com/AqO0ORI1jB

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 23, 2020

President Trump has given Meghan Markle and Prince Harry a taste of what’s to come

First of all, I’m not American. I don’t have any skin in the political game being played in the US this year.

But I did tune in to hear what President Trump had to say when a reporter tried to blindside him with a question about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

I doubt if she knew it at the time, but the reporter was about to bear witness to one of the slickest, most well-timed put-downs in human history.

It was a thing of beauty.

When asked what he thought of the fact that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had insinuated that a vote for Biden was the right thing to do, the President returned with:

I’m not a fan of hers. I wish a lot of luck to Harry, cos he’s gonna need it.

Boom. Mic drop moment. Game over.

Just like that, the lion emerged from the tall grass, snatched one of the oblivious zebras, and took it down.

The question is, are the zebras dumb enough to regroup and try to fight the lion and other predatory animals who operate in that particular space?

Or will they turn tail and flee to relative safety?

Just as I was with that wildlife program, I’m sitting here with my tea, just itching to find out how it’s all going to end.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com.