Trump Abuses His Foreign Policy Powers as a Favor to 'Manosphere' Influencer Andrew Tate

Andrew Tate is a leading figure in the misogynistic “manosphere” known for his toxic influence on young men. He is under house arrest in Romania awaiting trial for human trafficking and rape. But he is pro-Trump, so U.S. special envoy Richard Grenell has asked the Romanian government to release him.

As Newsweek noted:

U.S. officials initially broached the subject during a phone call with the Romanian government, advocating for the return of [Andrew and Tristan] Tates’ passports and permission for them to travel while awaiting court proceedings, [Financial Times] reported. This diplomatic effort was further amplified when Richard Grenell, President Donald Trump’s U.S. envoy for special missions, met with Romanian Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu at the Munich Security Conference last week. ...

While Hurezeanu declined to comment on the specifics of their discussion, his spokesperson emphasized the independence of the Romanian judiciary, stating that courts operate based on the law and due process. ...

Andrew Tate has previously said he would move back to the U.S. following Trump's election victory in November. “MAGA!” he told Newsweek at the time.

The Constitution gives the president the power to conduct foreign policy, but on behalf of the interests of the United States. Instead, Trump is abusing it to pressure foreign governments to suspend their justice systems for the benefit of one of his influential political supporters.

Feb. 27 update: After Romanian authorities removed their travel restrictions, the Tate brothers left on a private jet for Florida.

The Executive Watch is a project of the Institute for the Study of Modern Authoritarianism, and its flagship publication The UnPopulist, to track in an ongoing way the abuses of the power of the American presidency. It sorts these abuses into five categories: Personal Grift, Political Corruption, Presidential Retribution, Power Consolidation, and Policy Illegality. Click the category of interest to get an overview of all the abuses under it.

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