Andrew and Tristan Tate touch down in Florida

Andrew and Tristan Tate, social-media influencers in the infamous “manosphere,” returned to Florida today after two years of judicial confinement.

The Tate brothers were arrested in December 2022 on charges of rape, trafficking of minors and money laundering. Although they have never been formally convicted, the brothers have been in legal limbo in Romania while the investigation is underway. They have only just received permission to visit their home country, the United States, but they are still under judicial controls, meaning they must return to Romania when summoned.

Andrew and Tristan were both former professional kickboxers who began gaining notoriety by voicing controversial opinions online. Although Andrew has been banned from X on several occasions, he now has accrued more than 10 million followers.

The brothers started a course called Hustler’s University, which has since evolved into The Real World. For $49.99 a month, the Tates teach hundreds of thousands of students how to “break free of the Matrix” with access to business insiders and private networking.

In January, Andrew announced his intention to run for prime minister of the United Kingdom under his newly founded BRUV Party. Andrew is a citizen of the UK but had an arrest warrant issued there in March 2024 on similar charges.

The Tates have been vocal supporters of President Trump’s 2024 campaign, leading to speculation about whether he played a role in their return to the US. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has said that his administration is reviewing what actions the state can take regarding the Tate brothers’ arrival. “No, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” DeSantis said.

“Early this morning, I directed my office to work with our state law enforcement partners to conduct a preliminary inquiry into these individuals,” Florida attorney general James Uthmeier tweeted. “Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women. If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.”

Governor DeSantis said he has confidence Pam Bondi, the current US attorney general, will look into rebuffing their entry. The irony is not lost on Cockburn that Bondi, who was the previous Florida attorney general, is being asked to look into the Tate brothers the same day she said she’d release a number of files on Florida sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein…