Andrew and Tristan Tate, self-described misogynists of the manosphere, were in a Miami federal court on Monday on behalf of the United Kingdom to face new charges of rape and related sex-trafficking charges.
High profile attorneys for the Tate brothers, who have dual US and British citizenship, told a magistrate judge that they will request a bond hearing and plan to fight the extradition to the UK, in a battle with US prosecutors in Miami. They are currently being held in a Miami federal facility.
Their lead defense attorney, Joseph McBride, said the charges are “politically motivated.”
Another defense lawyer hired by the Tates is Howard Srebnick, who worked with the law firm of Roy Black, who represented Jeffrey Epstein.
If a hearing provides support for extradition to the UK, the final decision to extradite would fall to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has wide discretion with the decision.
The brothers ties to the Trumpshere are numerous.
Donald Trump Jr.
Trump Jr. has been friends with Andrew since 2016, and called his detainment in Romania in 2023 “absolute insanity,” and argued he faced “unfair” attacks from critics.
Barron Trump
Barron Trump helped younger voters connect with the manosphere in the 2024 election, reportedly reaching out to connect with Andrew Tate.
After the July 2024 assassination attempt against President Donald Trump, Andrew claimed he had spoken with Barron and told reporters, “I’m very close with the Trump family. I know them well.”
JD Vance
Vance follows both of the brothers on X, where he follows 1,500 people. He has not publicly supported the Tates.
Paolo Zampolli
Special envoy to Trump in the State Department, Paolo Zampolli, was partying with the Tate brothers in Washington DC only days before their arrest in Miami.
Zampolli is a former modeling scout who claims to have introduced Melania and Donald. Zampolli’s former girlfriend of 19 years, model Amanda Ungaro, was deported to Brazil reportedly at the request of Zampolli. Ungaro claimed that it was Jeffrey Epstein who introduced Melania to Trump, not Zampolli.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, Texas
Richard Grenell
In February 2025, the Trump administration denied their involvement in Romania’s lifting of the Tates’ travel restrictions, reportedly facilitated by Rick Grenell — who didn’t deny speaking with Romanian officials about the brothers, but openly admitted he supported the Tates as evidenced by his “publicly available tweets.”
Adam Mockler susses out some of these ties early in the clip below:
Alina Habba, former Trump lawyer, a “big fan.”
Reporting from:
Forbes, Newsweek, AP, Miami Herald