Tate brothers escape Romanian arrest—head to US with Trump's help
What's the story
Andrew and Tristan Tate, the controversial social media influencers who have been vocal supporters of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, have reportedly left Romania for the United States. The departure comes on the heels of public backing from the Donald Trump administration. BBC News and Romanian local media reported that the brothers, who hold dual US-UK citizenship, left Bucharest on a private jet around 5:00am local time.
Legal issues
Tate brothers' legal troubles and US intervention
The Tate brothers were initially arrested in Romania in 2022 on allegations of human trafficking, sexual misconduct, and money laundering. However, they continued to plead their innocence. Earlier this month, reports surfaced that US officials had asked Romania to relax travel restrictions against the brothers who have been under intermittent house arrest. The Financial Times revealed that US officials had pushed Romania to return the brothers' passports and allow them to travel while awaiting the conclusion of their court proceedings.
Public endorsement
Trump's envoy expressed support for the Tate brothers
Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu confirmed this, saying that Richard Grenell—an envoy for Trump—had spoken to him about the Tate case. While denying having a substantive conversation with Hurezeanu, Grenell publicly supported the Tate brothers. He said: "I support the Tate brothers as evident by my publicly available tweets." Andrew, a self-proclaimed misogynist, is an outspoken Trump supporter and has previously claimed that the President is "saving America along with the entire Western world."
About the brothers
In detail, know more about the notorious brothers
Emory Andrew Tate, a four-time kickboxing world champion, first gained attention in 2016 on Big Brother UK. He was removed after six days when a video surfaced appearing to show him attacking a woman, which he claimed was edited and false. Andrew later gained global fame as an online influencer, flaunting luxury cars, jets, and yachts. With billions of video views, he amassed millions of followers. Andrew, 38, and his brother Tristan face multiple legal cases but deny wrongdoing.