President Trump’s MAGA movement is having a moment, thanks to his administration’s embrace of an online pornographer, self-described pimp and alleged sex trafficker. Even though it’s nearly impossible to be shocked by anything this administration does, shock is definitely in order when it comes to the Tate brothers.
At the reported urging of President Donald Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell, the Romanian government allowed “manosphere” influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, who had been under house arrest while facing sex trafficking charges, to travel to the U.S. at the end of February.
Andrew, a former professional kickboxer, is a self-described misogynist who made a fortune by recruiting young women to his sex webcam business. He has been accused of sexual assault and rape by multiple women in Romania and the United Kingdom. He denies the charges, claiming he has been targeted by “the Matrix” and smeared by people who fear his influence.
Andrew Tate’s “War Room” charges men thousands of dollars to learn, among other things, “how to isolate women from their social circles to exert control,” as Forbes put it. A 2023 BBC investigation of War Room chat logs identified dozens of women allegedly groomed into sex work by members. Messages suggest that some War Room “generals” encouraged violence as a means to control women.
In a world where social media prizes controversial content and pushes people down radicalizing rabbit holes, Tate built a huge following over the past few years. Tristan has bragged that his brother has inculcated millions of young men into a right-wing political worldview. Teachers report that middle school and high school boys are bringing Tate’s misogyny into schools and classrooms.
Why is the U.S. government going out of its way to help this guy? On one level, the intervention seems like an example of Trump’s self-centered, transactional approach to just about everything. Andrew Tate was a vocal supporter of Trump, and that’s enough. All that really matters is that you’re with him.
We saw that thinking in action when Trump granted clemency even to the most brutally violent Jan. 6 rioters, some of whom had criminal records for rape and domestic violence. Trump freed Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes even after his ex-wife and son said they feared for their safety if he was let out of jail.
But I think there’s something more going on here. Tate’s following is a sign that predatory masculinity has become central to MAGA culture. Trump, too, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women. Trump picked multiple men accused of sexual misconduct for Cabinet positions.
Trump and Tate have a lot in common. They perfected their aggressive performance style on TV before using it to dominate social media. Even so, Tate is a bridge too far for some conservative pundits, who have criticized the infatuation with him. When the Tates flew to Florida in February, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) said they weren’t welcome. And when Trump booster Dana White, head of Ultimate Fighting Championship and Meta board member, welcomed the brothers to Las Vegas with a hug, some conservatives responded with disgust.
Trump’s inner circle? Squarely with Tate.
Donald Trump, Jr. called the brothers’ arrest in Romania “absolute insanity.” Trump lawyer Alina Habba fawned over him on a January podcast, telling Tate, “I got your back.” Former Tate lawyer Paul Ingrassia now works in the Trump White House.
Trump’s Jan. 6 pardons and commutations raised concerns that he was effectively creating a loyal army of brownshirt enforcers. The amped-up followers of Andrew Tate seem like potential recruits.
In an interview with YouTuber Benny Johnson, Tate declared, “We have a war to win,” adding that “war is ugly” and “we need Batman now.” That kind of rhetoric should alarm Americans, who are already disturbed by Trump’s increasingly authoritarian abuses of power.
When Trump was asked about his administration’s efforts on the Tates’ behalf, he claimed to know nothing about it. I’m going to assume that’s about as true as his claim to know nothing about Project 2025 just before implementing its brutal agenda. Or his telling American women, “I will be your protector.”
