The White House Sounds Very Friendly With Andrew and Tristan Tate
For months, President Donald Trump has struggled to contain the fallout of his decades-long relationship with the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, his administration has decimated anti-trafficking initiatives across the country and, according to a new ProPublica report, may have even interfered in a federal investigation on behalf of two other accused sex traffickers. ProPublica reported that earlier this year the White House directed the Department of Homeland Security to return the electronic devices of Andrew and Tristan Tate — the far-right online influencers who’ve been accused of sex trafficking in three countries — after the devices were seized upon their arrival in the U.S.
The infamous manosphere podcasters, who have cast their misogynistic and violent views as self-help advice for men, are currently facing charges of rape, human trafficking, and assault in the U.K. as well as trafficking and money-laundering charges in Romania, where they are currently under investigation. Earlier this year, a woman sued the brothers in Florida, alleging that they lured her to Romania with the intention of coercing her into sex work. Last month a circuit-court judge dismissed most of the woman’s claims, though she’ll be allowed to file a new legal challenge. The Tates have denied all allegations against them.
The Tates appear to maintain, at the very least, a friendly relationship with the White House: In early February, Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell allegedly put pressure on authorities in Romania to lift travel restrictions on the brothers. (Grennell and the White House have denied their involvement.) Now, ProPublica reports that Custom and Border Protection officials seized their electronic devices when they landed in Florida. But within days, lawyer Paul Ingrassia — who works as a liaison between the White House and Homeland Security — allegedly contacted senior DHS officials and told them to return the devices to the Tate brothers, according to a written request reviewed by the outlet. In the request, Ingrassia reportedly scolded CBP agents and claimed seizing the devices was a waste of time and resources. ProPublica reported that Ingrassia emphasized in his request that the directive was coming straight from the White House. He now denies that he intervened in the investigation.
This would not be the first time Ingrassia — whom Trump recently appointed deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration after Politico published racist comments he reportedly made in a group chat — has gone to bat for the Tates. He previously worked at the law firm representing the Tate brothers and has repeatedly posted calling for them to be “free” and praising Andrew as an “extraordinary human being.”
The Tates’ lawyer, Joseph McBride, told ProPublica that the devices have not been returned to the brothers. The Tates left the United States in late March; it is unclear whether there’s an active investigation into them or if Ingrassia’s request had any impact on the authorities’ analysis of the devices. But the brothers certainly seemed comfortable in Trump’s America. In February, ahead of traveling to Florida, Andrew 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.” For accused sex traffickers, that appears to be increasingly true.
Related