Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is not a fan of the controversial Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan.
At a news conference Thursday, the Republican state leader made it clear that the Tate brothers, who face serious charges in Romania, were not welcome in the Sunshine State.
“Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” he stated.
The brothers, who hold dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, landed at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport after a travel ban was lifted. DeSantis noted that while Florida had no role in their arrival, the state’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, was exploring legal options.
“We have no involvement in that,” DeSantis said. “I read about it through the media.”
Uthmeier confirmed that Florida was investigating potential jurisdiction over the case.
“Florida has zero tolerance for human trafficking and violence against women,” he firmly said.
Andrew defended himself, saying, “We live in a democratic society where it’s innocent until proven guilty. We have no criminal record anywhere on the planet.”
Their lawyer, Joseph McBride, accused DeSantis of political bias, calling his remarks “disgraceful.”
Donald Trump distanced himself from the issue, stating, “I just know nothing about it. We’ll check it out.” U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called human trafficking a security risk and pledged to review the situation.
Romanian prosecutors lifted the brothers’ travel ban but maintained judicial oversight. Despite their legal troubles, they plan to return to Romania in March before coming back to the U.S. The brothers were charged with human trafficking, rape, and forming a criminal group to sexually exploit women.
