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The Trump administration has urged Romanian officials to lift travel bans on Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist influencer and supporter of the US president, who is currently facing criminal charges in Bucharest.
Andrew and his brother, Tristan Tate, who hold dual citizenship in the US and UK, have become a cause célèbre within rightwing social media circles following their arrest in Romania in 2022 on charges related to human trafficking, sexual misconduct, money laundering, and the establishment of an organized crime group. They have denied any wrongdoing.
The case of the Tates was initially raised by US officials in a conversation with the Romanian government last week, and further discussed by Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell during his meeting with the Romanian foreign minister at the Munich Security Conference, according to three individuals familiar with the discussions.
A fourth source indicated that a request was made for the return of the brothers’ passports to facilitate travel while awaiting the conclusion of court proceedings.
Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu declined to comment on his discussion with Grenell. His spokesperson mentioned that Hurezeanu initiated the meeting and that they have a longstanding relationship from their time as ambassadors in Berlin during Trump’s first presidency.
The spokesperson didn’t provide details on their discussions but emphasized: “Romanian courts are independent and operate based on the law; there is due process.”
Grenell stated that he did not engage in “substantive conversation” with Hurezeanu, explaining that Hurezeanu “saw me in the hallway” in Munich and “requested a meeting”. “My support for the Tate brothers is clear from my publicly available tweets,” he added.
This month, Grenell posted on X, criticizing USAID, calling Romania the “latest example” of how US funds were “weaponized against individuals and politicians who were not aligned with leftist ideologies”. The Trump administration has significantly reduced USAID funding and sought to dismiss numerous staff members.
The USAID programs were weaponized against individuals and politicians who weren’t woke.
The Biden administration allocated US taxpayer dollars to support left-leaning initiatives and candidates globally.
Conservatives worldwide have been targeted.
Romania is the latest illustration.… https://t.co/cmPqYojRzs
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 3, 2025
Tristan Tate has urged his supporters to investigate “if any USAID funding went to Romania to support specific Lawfare-based investigations”, seemingly alluding to his and his brother’s cases.
The Tate brothers have amassed millions of followers within the “manosphere”—online communities aimed at young men that endorse male dominance and oppose feminism—play a significant role in Trump’s re-election efforts. Tucker Carlson, an ally of Trump and former Fox anchor, has conducted sympathetic interviews with both brothers, encouraging viewers to “form their own opinions” about them.
In November, Tristan Tate boasted on X about the brothers’ influence in the US election, asserting that “millions of young men in Europe and the USA have adopted a healthy rightwing political stance that they would NOT have developed if Andrew Tate had not been visible on their screens.”
The UK is also pursuing the extradition of the brothers, as police in Bedfordshire have obtained an arrest warrant in connection to allegations of rape and human trafficking. A Romanian court determined last year that they could be extradited once there is a final ruling in their legal case in Romania.
A separate civil lawsuit was filed last week by a woman in Florida, claiming that the brothers coerced her into sex work after luring her to Romania, and accuses them of defaming her following her testimony against them in Bucharest.
The duo has recently achieved a legal triumph in Romania, with an appeals court sending their case back to a lower court. They have also been released from house arrest, although they are prohibited from leaving the country.
“The Tate brothers are fully committed to working with their legal team to explore all legal options available within the Romanian judicial system,” the brothers stated in a press release.
“Their primary goal is to ensure that due process is adhered to and that their innocence is affirmed in a court of law.”
US Vice President JD Vance recently criticized Romanian officials for annulled a presidential election, citing it as an instance of a supposed crackdown on rightwing politicians undermining Europe’s democracy “from within”.
The country’s constitutional court declared in December that it made this unprecedented decision due to a severely flawed electoral process, which was believed to be influenced by a sophisticated social media campaign allegedly orchestrated by Moscow.
Vance described the annulment as based on “weak evidence from an intelligence agency and substantial pressure from neighboring countries.”
The US vice president’s remarks were seen as a validation by far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, who finished atop the canceled vote and plans to campaign again in May. Last week, police raided the home of Georgescu’s campaign chief after he claimed to have spent no funds on his election effort. Should criminal charges arise, the constitutional court could rule against his presidential campaign.
Georgescu was interviewed on Sunday by another prominent voice from the “manosphere,” Mario Nawfal, who referred to him on X as “Romania’s rightful president”, warning that he could be barred from competing. “This is the EXACT strategy they used against Trump,” he remarked.
