Andrew Tate's extradition fight tests his influence with Trump's America

Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate (obscured) — facing more than 50 charges in the U.K. and Romania, including rape and human trafficking — arrive in Florida after a travel ban on them was lifted in February 2025. Alon Skuy/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Alon Skuy/Getty Images After President Trump took office in 2025, Andrew Tate proclaimed, "The Tates will be free." It reflected an expectation that Trump would extricate the controversial 39-year-old influencer and his brother from legal troubles in Romania. By then, Andrew Tate had spent years building political connections with the Trump family and other Republicans. But now those ties are being tested: Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested on July 18 and are now in a Florida prison, as the United Kingdom seeks to extradite them to face dozens of charges for serious crimes, including rape and human trafficking. The brothers, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, deny the charges and are fighting extradition. It's a striking turnabout for the brothers, whose fans have included people who work in the U.S. government. "The Tate brothers have friends on Capitol Hill," says Jared Holt, senior researcher at Open Measures, a company ...