The Trump administration reportedly intervened in a federal investigation of accused sex trafficker Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, who are both right-wing influencers who have promoted President Donald Trump.
ProPublica reported on Tuesday that a White House official instructed the Department of Homeland Security to return electronic devices that had been seized by Customs and Border Protection officials from the Tates when they returned to the U.S. in February. The official in question was Paul Ingrassia, who previously worked as a lawyer for the brothers.
Paul Ingrassia
An official involved with the case told the outlet, “It was so offensive to what we’re all here to do, to uphold the law and protect the American people.”
The brothers have been accused in Romania and the United Kingdom of luring women to their home, forcing them into debt, and pressuring them into filming pornography that was shared online. The Tates have denied the charges.
Andrew Tate has described himself as a misogynist and has promoted the idea of physically abusing women and forcing them into sex. Tate’s content has attracted a significant following in the right-wing “manosphere” world.
Back in February, the Trump administration pressured the Romanian government to pull back travel restrictions on the Tates, who were under house arrest in that nation. Matthew Jury, who represents four of the alleged Tate victims, told the BBC at the time the women were “absolutely bewildered why the Trump administration has decided to interfere in this way.”
Related | Why is Trump pressuring Romania to go soft on accused rapist Andrew Tate?
In March, the restrictions were eased and the Tates came to the U.S. The allegations against them were so severe that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a staunch Trump ally, said they were not welcome in the state.
The Trump administration’s support for the brothers is in line with Trump’s own history of misogyny and sexual assault. Trump was found liable in 2023 for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Caroll and Judge Lewis A. Kaplan later confirmed in a court filing the jury found that Trump had raped Carroll. Trump has also been accused of sexual abuse by multiple women.
Trump also bragged about committing sexual assault on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape, saying, “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”
Tate and Trump share similar views of women and are fellow travelers in the world of conservative politics. Using the federal government to help out figures like the Tates seems to be standard operating procedure for the administration.
