White House says will not block Tate brothers’ extradition to UK

United States President Donald Trump will not stop the United Kingdom’s extradition of Andrew and Tristan Tate on sex crime charges, a White House spokesperson has said.

The online influencers, who have built a career as self-professed misogynists, were arrested in Miami on Saturday after UK prosecutors announced dozens of new charges against them, including rape, sex trafficking and assault.

The Tates have been avid supporters of Trump and have reportedly sought to cultivate relationships with his sons. Their brand of far-right, performatively masculine content, part of the online “manosphere” ecosystem, helped shore up support for the president among young men during the 2024 election season.

That has led to speculation that Trump could intervene to stop their extradition. But White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt was firm when asked on Thursday if that would happen.

“No,” she replied.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also doused the prospect of the government intervening.

“There’s no role for us to play at this moment or maybe ever in that regard,” he told reporters in the Philippines on Wednesday.

UK prosecutors said the alleged abuses by the brothers took place between 2010 and 2017.

The new charges against Andrew include seven counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault, and 19 charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.

Tristan was charged with one count of sexual assault, two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating sex trafficking.

Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, has said the charges are “politically motivated”.

The brothers have also been accused of trafficking and the sexual abuse of minors, as well as money laundering, in Romania. They relocated to the US in 2025 as those allegations mounted.

In March 2025, the US state of Florida also launched a criminal investigation into the brothers, although its status remains unclear.