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President Donald Trump does not have plans to intervene in the extradition case involving controversial "hypermasculine" influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a July 23 White House press briefing.The Tates were taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Miami on July 18 as British authorities seek to extradite them to the United Kingdom to face multiple charges of rape and human trafficking. Crown prosecutors announced a slew of charges against the Tates shortly before the arrests.The brothers deny the charges.Leavitt was asked by a reporter at the briefing if Trump or his administration planned to intervene in the case to which she responded: "No. We’ve already answered that question."Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will ultimately decide if the Tates are extradited if U.S. courts rule that it can proceed, said on July 22 that there was "no role" for the administration to play while the case is in court "or maybe ever" – according to Sky News. " I'm not going to opine on something that's still working through a legal process," Rubio told reporters during a diplomatic trip to the Philippines.Joseph McBride, the brother's attorney, pointed to Rubio's decision-making role in a response Leavitt's comments made to TMZ. "Ms. Leavitt is great, but she is not the President or the Secretary of State," he told the outlet. "There is no extradition without the Secretary of State’s signature. Until that signature exists, it’s all commentary." USA TODAY has reached out to McBride for comment.What charges are the Tate brothers facing?The Crown Prosecution Service announced on the day of the arrest that it was prosecuting Andrew Tate with seven new counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and 19 additional charges for offenses relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.Tristan Tate is being prosecuted on one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.Federal filings, unsealed on July 20, show that three women made complaints to British officials against both brothers.Two of the women accused Andrew Tate of rape and assault in incidents in the U.K. dating to 2014 and 2015. Another woman accused Tristan Tate of rape and assault during a long-term relationship that began in 2012. The women alleged they were often choked by the brothers, sometimes to the point of passing out, before being raped.One of the alleged victims said she had consensual sex with Andrew Tate in 2014 after meeting him on a dating app. Later, when he visited her home in Manchester, England, he pinned her down while they had sex. She alleged she was not able to breathe and “afraid he would not stop and was going to kill her," according to the filings.The women were not named in the court documents.The charges are in addition to 21 original charges, including rape and human trafficking, brought in the U.K. against the Tate brothers, bringing the total charges against them to 59.McBride called the charges "a political hit ordered by a dying empire" in a statement issued after the arrest.The brothers also face prosecution in Romania and are named in multiple civil lawsuits connected to claims of sexual violence and trafficking.Who are the Tate brothers?The Tates, who have millions of social media followers, are key figures in the "manosphere," a collection of influencers, websites and spaces online that spread fitness, lifestyle and get-rich-quick advice alongside a blend of misogynistic and anti-feminist rhetoric while insisting they respect women.Trump courted members of the manosphere during the 2024 election, including appearing on podcasts hosted by allies of the Tate brothers.The New York Times reported in December 2025 that the Tates had long cultivated friendships and influence with other allies of President Trump, including his youngest son, Barron Trump, who communicated with Andrew Tate over Zoom, The Times reported.When the Tate brothers were arrested in Romania in 2022, Donald Trump Jr. posted on social media that the prosecution was "absolute insanity."The Trump administration has denied any connection to the Tates, calling reporting in The Times and elsewhere "fake news."Contributing: USA TODAY Staff
