The arrival of two controversial men in the U.S. who face human trafficking charges overseas sparked widespread criticism among conservative Christian leaders Thursday and even pushback from Florida’s governor, who said the duo was not welcome.
Brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate — dual U.S.-British citizens — were arrested in Romania in December 2022 on charges of human trafficking, rape, and forming an organized crime group. They also face charges in the United Kingdom of rape and human trafficking. In both countries, they are accused of luring women under false pretenses and coercing them into creating explicit online content.
The brothers deny all the criminal charges and have yet to be convicted. Their attorney said the brothers will return to Romania for future legal proceedings.
The brothers landed in Florida after high-level members of the Trump administration reportedly urged Romania to lift travel restrictions on them, although President Trump himself on Thursday denied having a hand in the matter, telling reporters, “I know nothing about that.”
Although the Tates have been described in the media as “right-wing influencers,” many leaders on the Right spoke out against the men.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday told reporters his administration wants the Tates out of his state.
“Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with this type of conduct,” DeSantis said. “And I don’t know how it came to this. We were not involved. We were not notified. I found out through the media that this was happening.”
#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida does not welcome Andrew and Tristan Tate flying back from Romania, says A.G. @JamesUthmeierFL exploring legal options to deal with it
“No: Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct.”
“Our Attorney General,… pic.twitter.com/XWOIaswa28
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 27, 2025
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, on X (formerly Twitter), said he directed his office to work with state law enforcement partners to “conduct a preliminary inquiry” into the men.
“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women,” Uthmeier wrote. “If any of these alleged crimes trigger Florida jurisdiction, we will hold them accountable.”
Despite the backlash, several conservative media members and influencers, including Tucker Carlson and Benny Johnson, have interviewed and platformed Andrew Tate in recent months. Alina Habba, who has served as Trump’s attorney and appeared in Trump campaign ads, told Tate during the Johnson podcast she was a “big fan” of his.
But on Thursday and Friday, few conservatives defended the Tates.
U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri and a vocal supporter of Trump, linked on X (formerly Twitter) to a Newsweek article that expressed concern about moral rot on the Right. “Important piece — and exactly correct,” Hawley wrote.
Important piece – and exactly correct https://t.co/1LaWlfOK8W
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 28, 2025
“No decent person, let alone a political movement downstream of the biblical, Judeo-Christian tradition, as American conservatism necessarily is, should lift a finger to welcome such a wretched reprobate to our shores or shield him from justice,” wrote Josh Hammer, the author of the Newsweek article. “Andrew Tate is a self-described misogynist and self-proclaimed pimp, having described his online course on pimping as ‘my recruitment system.’ From his massive platform, he urges his largely male audience to treat women as mere sexual objects and sperm receptacles. He bragged on a podcast about hitting a woman and breaking her jaw, saying he ‘got away with it.’ How any political movement claiming the mantle of ‘family values’ can support such an individual is inexplicable.”
The Tates’ arrival in Florida drew criticism from prominent Christians within the conservative community. Here are five.
1. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)
“I would hope our government wasn’t involved in any way,” Hawley told HuffPost. “My view is that charges against him are very serious. …I don’t think conservatives should be glorifying this guy at all. I certainly don’t think that we should be using any influence in our government to try to get him out of what seemed to be extremely serious charges in Romania. So I would hope that we weren’t involved in any way.”
GOP Sen. Hawley on Andrew Tate returning to the U.S.:
“I would hope our government wasn’t involved in any way. My view is that charges against him are very serious…I don’t think conservatives should be glorifying this guy at all.”
“I certainly don’t think that we should be…
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) February 27, 2025
2. Allie Beth Stuckey, host of the Relatable podcast
“I had been under the impression that sex trafficking was something we actually, really all cared about, but this Epstein rollout and the applause of the Tate brothers has made me question that.”
I had been under the impression that sex trafficking was something we actually, really all cared about, but this Epstein rollout and the applause of the Tate brothers has made me question that.
— Allie Beth Stuckey (@conservmillen) February 28, 2025
3. Jeremy Boreing, co-founder, Daily Wire
“The way conservatives and conservative organizations respond to Andrew Tate arriving on US soil will tell you everything you need to know about them,” Boreing wrote. “Any organization or host who embraces him is engaged in far worse than simple grift, though it is that. Andrew Tate is the enemy of any traditional American conservatism.”
The way conservatives and conservative organizations respond to Andrew Tate arriving on US soil will tell you everything you need to know about them. Any organization or host who embraces him is engaged in far worse than simple grift, though it is that. Andrew Tate is the enemy…
— Jeremy Boreing (@JeremyDBoreing) February 27, 2025
4. Lila Rose, president, Live Action
“I thought we were trying to deport sex predators.”
I thought we were trying to deport sex predators. pic.twitter.com/1zPc2Wudum
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) February 27, 2025
5. Jonathon Van Maren, conservative writer
“Andrew Tate is a litmus test. If you support him, you support a pimp, pornographer, and woman-beater. Tate admits that, by the way, he just says the violence was consensual, and he gets off on beating women. If you consider that a legitimate defense, we have nothing in common.
“If you are willing to defend Andrew Tate, you are every bit as infected by the ‘woke mind virus’ as the craziest leftist. You have become what you hate. You are willing to defend the indefensible.
“Championing a vile man because it somehow ‘owns the libs’ is, in fact, the equivalent of repeatedly kicking yourself where it hurts but being totally convinced that you’re striking a blow against the ‘other side.’
“When it comes to violence against women and sexual exploitation, here should be only one side. Make sure you’re on it. If you’re not, you’re an arsonist, not a firefighter.”
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Daniel Mihailescu/AFP
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael’s Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published February 28, 2025.
