Topline
President Donald Trump is reportedly pressuring Romania to ease travel restrictions on controversial “manosphere” influencer Andrew Tate, who has been embroiled in a years-long legal fight in the country where he has been charged with rape and human trafficking—and who has also championed the president for months to his millions of social media followers.
Tate has been charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania. (Photo by Daniel MIHAILESCU / AFP) … [+]
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts
Tate, who has more than 10 million followers on X, has repeatedly praised Trump and urged his American followers to vote for him ahead of the 2024 election, posting such praises as “All Trump does is win” and stating those who oppose him should be “expelled from the country.”
Tate has compared himself to Trump, in one post noting both he and Trump have been accused of sex crimes and were “vilified by old recordings making jokes,” likely referring to various sexual misconduct allegations made against Trump and his controversial leaked Access Hollywood tape.
Tate, a self-avowed misogynist, has used sexist language to prop up Trump, in one post stating his election victory kept “evil war mongering she witches out of office” and in other posts used homophobic slurs and offensive language to refer to supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Members of Trump’s inner circle have also voiced support for Tate, including Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., who called Tate’s detention in Romania “absolute insanity,” and billionaire Elon Musk, who last month replied to a post on X about Tate voicing his intent to run for United Kingdom prime minister, praising Tate’s assessment of U.K. politics as “not wrong.”
Vice President JD Vance slammed the Romanian government last week, though not about Tate’s detention, accusing the government of suppressing free speech by annulling an election result that was thought to be influenced by Russian meddling.
One of the young staffers behind Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, Gavin Kliger, has also boosted Tate’s content on social media, Reuters reported.
News Peg
U.S. officials have reportedly urged Romania to lift travel restrictions on Tate, the Financial Times reported, citing three unnamed sources. The matter was first raised by U.S. officials on a call with the Romanian government, and again raised by Trump administration diplomat Richard Grenell at the Munich Security Conference last week. A spokesperson for the Romanian foreign minister, Emil Hurezeanu, told the Financial Times that “Romanian courts are independent and operate based on the law, there is due process,” and declined to comment on specific discussions about Tate. Grenell told the Financial Times he had “no substantive conversation” with Hurezenau, but clarified he supports Tate.
Who Is Andrew Tate?
The American-born, British-raised Tate, formerly a world champion kickboxer and reality television personality known for his appearance on the United Kingdom edition of “Big Brother,” has since developed a significant online following across platforms including X, Instagram and YouTube, though he has faced multiple suspensions, with YouTube stating in 2022 that Tate had violated the platform’s “hate speech” policy. Tate’s X account has more than 10 million followers. He has built an online personality promoting masculinity, but his views frequently veer into sexist territory, and he has described himself as a “misogynist.” Tate has said female rape victims must “bear responsibility” for their attacks and that women belong in the household. Tate has also voiced support for the patriarchy and frequently uses racial, homophobic and sexist slurs in his social media posts. Tate has also launched various online programs billed as educational, primarily targeted at young men, which have drawn significant controversy over accusations they teach men to exploit women. Among these is “War Room,” which charges participants thousands and promises to “free the modern man from socially induced incarceration.” A BBC investigation of chat logs from the “War Room” alleged the program’s courses taught men how to groom women into sex work, and found dozens of alleged victims.
What Crimes Is Andrew Tate Accused Of?
Tate was detained in Romania in December 2022 and indicted six months later on charges of rape, human trafficking and engaging in organized criminal activity, all of which Tate has denied. Prosecutors accused Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, as well as two Romanian women, of recruiting women and forcing them to make pornographic content. Romanian officials said in August they were investigating the Tate brothers for trafficking of minors and alleged sexual intercourse with a minor. Tate has also been accused of sexual violence in the United Kingdom, where a Romanian court ruled he may be extradited after his trial in Romania. Tate’s pending Romanian trial, however, was blocked by an appeals court in December, which ruled his indictment did not meet the requirements to proceed to trial.
Tangent
Tate is considered to be a prominent figure in the “manosphere”—a loosely defined movement of influencers who promote pro-male, frequently misogynistic views to their social media followings. The manosphere received heightened attention during the 2024 presidential election as several podcasters and social media celebrities thought to be part of the movement endorsed and, in some cases, met with Trump, which the Washington Post reported was at the behest of Trump’s youngest son, Barron. Trump appeared on a livestream with Adin Ross, a 24-year-old streamer who has 7 million Instagram followers and 4.5 million YouTube subscribers. Trump also spoke with Joe Rogan, the world’s most popular podcaster, and met with other influencers with millions of followers each, including Bryce Hall, Theo Von and Logan Paul. The “manosphere” was considered important for Trump’s 2024 election victory, as he improved his share of the vote with young men.
Further Reading
Trump administration pressures Romania to lift restrictions on Andrew Tate (Financial Times)
What We Know About Andrew Tate’s ‘War Room’—As Report Alleges Global Network To Exploit Women (Forbes)
What to Know About the Accusations Against Andrew Tate (New York Times)
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