Ron DeSantis Announces Andrew Tate Is Not Welcome in the State of Florida

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis drew a contrast with the Trump administration Thursday by announcing that controversial online figures Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are not welcome in Florida.

The Trump administration reportedly pressured Romania to allow the Tate brothers, who faced criminal charges of sexual misconduct in the European country, to leave to the United States. A spokesperson said the brothers landed in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday.

President Donald Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell reportedly raised their case during a hallway exchange with Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month.

“We have no involvement in that,” DeSantis said of the Tates during a press conference. “I read about it through the media. Clearly, the federal government has jurisdiction. Whether they want to rebuff his entry into the United States, and I have confidence that — whether it’s Pam Bondi or Kristi Noem — that they will be looking at that.”

“I do know our attorney general, James Uthmeier, is looking at what state and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this. But the reality is, is no, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct. I’m in the air, 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 something that was happening.“

AP provided context on the Tate’s controversial arrival in the United States, reporting:

The Tates — who are dual U.S.-British citizens and have millions of online followers — were arrested in late 2022 and formally indicted last year on charges they participated in a criminal ring that lured women to Romania, where they were sexually exploited. Andrew Tate was also charged with rape. They deny the allegations.

In December, a court ruled that the case couldn’t go to trial because of multiple legal and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors. The case, however, remained open, and there is also another ongoing investigation against them in Romania.

Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said in a statement Thursday that prosecutors approved a request to change the travel restrictions on the Tates, but didn’t say who made the request.

Watch above via Florida’s Voice (h/t Eric Daughtery)