FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Andrew Tate said he was disappointed in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday while speaking on a podcast several days after he and his brother, Tristan, who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, returned to the U.S.
Andrew Tate appeared on the PBD Podcast, hosted by Patrick Bet-David, and said DeSantis likely caved to media pressure last week when he told reporters that the Tates weren’t welcome in Florida, after they landed in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. DeSantis said Florida’s attorney general was examining whether the state may have any jurisdiction over the brothers’ alleged crimes, and if so, how to hold them accountable. In court documents, the Tates have said they are not and have never been Florida residents.
“I don’t know why Ron’s answer wasn’t, ‘He has an American passport. The judicial system in Romania, which I know absolutely nothing about, decided to let him fly, and he’s flown to his home country. As far as we’re concerned, he’s broken no laws,’” Tate said. “Instead, what he did was say: ‘We’re going to get our attorney general to try and find some laws he’s broken and wreck this man who’s done nothing inside of the United States ever.'”
In contrast, Tate described U.S. President Donald Trump as “such a boss” in his response to reporters about the Tate brothers. A reporter asked Trump if his administration had pressured the Romanian government to release the brothers, and Trump said, “I know nothing about that.”
Andrew Tate, 38, is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers on the social platform X. He and his brother Tristan Tate, 36, are vocal supporters of Trump.
Andrew reiterated on Monday that he has not been convicted of any crimes.
“Isn’t the whole point of democracy, innocent until proven guilty?” Tate said. “I’ve yet to even have a trial, let alone a conviction. I’ve never even been tried after three years. I’ve never been to trial.”
Andrew Tate is a hugely successful social media figure, attracting millions of followers, many of them young men and schoolchildren drawn in by the luxurious lifestyle the influencer projects online.
He previously was banned from TikTok, YouTube and Facebook for hate speech and his misogynistic comments, including that women should bear responsibility for getting sexually assaulted.
The Tates, who are dual U.S.-British citizens, 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.
The Tates’ departure came after Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a Trump administration official expressed interest in the brothers’ case at the recent Munich Security Conference.
Just weeks ago, Andrew Tate posted on X: “The Tates will be free, Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever. Hold on.”
The DeSantis’ office didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment about Monday’s podcast with Tate.