The administration of US President Donald Trump has put pressure on the Romanian authorities to lift travel restrictions on disgraced influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, according to a report by the Financial Times.

The Tate brothers, dual US and UK nationals, were arrested in December 2022 and face charges including human trafficking, rape and money laundering, all of which they deny. Their case has gained significant traction within right-wing social media circles, where they are portrayed as victims of political persecution.

According to the Financial Times, after Trump’s return to the US presidency, US officials initially raised the matter during a phone call with the Romanian government, advocating for the return of the Tates' passports and their ability to travel while awaiting trial. The issue was reportedly escalated when Richard Grenell, Trump’s special envoy, met with Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu at the Munich Security Conference last week.

Hurezeanu declined to comment on the specifics of the discussion, but his spokesperson stressed the independence of the Romanian judiciary. “Romanian courts operate based on the law and due process,” the spokesperson told the Financial Times.

Grenell, in comments to the business daily, confirmed his support for the Tates. He described the interaction with Hurezeanu as a brief hallway exchange with no substantive discussion. However, the diplomat has previously expressed his support for the Tates on social network X (formerly Twitter). 

Tate’s online influence

Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer turned social media personality, has amassed a significant following in the  ‘manosphere’, online spaces that promote male dominance and oppose feminism. He and his brother Tristan have been vocal supporters of right-wing causes, with Andrew previously stating he would return to the US following a Trump election victory.

The brothers' influence extends to the broader political landscape. Tristan Tate has boasted about their role in shaping young men’s rightwing views, particularly in the US and Europe.

Andrew Tate, who presents himself as a self-help guru, was banned from most mainstream social media platforms for violations including hate speech. 

Some of his comments are so extreme they raised concerns among NGOs of young men being radicalised or encouraged to commit violence against women. His misogynist comments eventually got him banned by major platforms for hate speech, but he was allowed to return to Twitter after it was taken over by Elon Musk last year. 

Until his arrest in Romania, he presented an aspirational lifestyle to his millions of followers, showing himself smoking cigars and with fast cars, which were seized by Romanian prosecutors after his arrest. 

Legal proceedings in Romania

The Tate brothers were detained in Romania in December 2022 on suspicion of running a human trafficking network that exploited women for pornographic content. Romanian prosecutors claim the brothers lured victims under the pretence of romantic relationships before coercing them into performing online.

In 2023, Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) indicted the brothers on charges including human trafficking, rape, illegal access to computer systems and incitement to violence. Prosecutors alleged that they formed an organised criminal group in 2021, recruiting at least seven victims under false pretenses and subjecting them to forced labor.

Ironically, Andrew Tate previously stated he moved to Romania in 2017 because he preferred living in countries “where corruption is accessible”.

He was detained after an online spat with climate activist Greta Thunberg, in which he boasted about his fleet of 33 cars. 

In a response that went viral and racked up almost 4mn likes and 300mn views, Thunberg wrote back: “yes, please do enlighten me email me at smalldickenergy@getalife.com.”

What brought the influencer to the attention of Romanians was the pizza box from Romanian chain Jerry’s Pizza in the foreground of a video Tate posted to Thunberg.

As well as the charges in Romania, the Tate brothers also face extradition requests from the UK related to allegations of rape and human trafficking.