Andrew Tate's arrival in Florida has triggered a legal standoff,
Andrew Tate's arrival in Florida has triggered a legal standoff, with Governor Ron DeSantis exploring options to block the extremist influencer and alleged human trafficker from staying in the state. Getty Images/AP Photo

Andrew Tate's arrival in Florida has triggered a showdown with Governor Ron DeSantis, who vowed to explore legal avenues to challenge the extremist influencer and alleged human trafficker's stay in the state.

"No, Florida is not a place where you're welcome," DeSantis said Thursday. "Whether they want to rebuff his entry into the United States, and I have confidence that whether it's Pam Bondi or Kristi Noem, that they will be looking at that. I do know our Attorney General, James Booth Meyer, is looking at what state hooks and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this."

Tate and his brother, Tristan, left Romania early Thursday aboard a private jet, their first taste of freedom after months of travel restrictions. Authorities had previously barred the two—who face human trafficking charges in Romania and separate allegations in the U.K.—from leaving the country, with concerns they might flee.

Andrew Tate also faces a rape charge in Romania. Despite granting them permission to travel, Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism stressed the brothers remain under judicial supervision. "Failure to comply could result in stricter legal measures," the agency warned.

"I don't know how it came to this. We were not involved, we were not notified, I found out through the media, that this was something that was happening," DeSantis revealed.

The Tate brothers, dual British-American citizens, have built an online empire by championing hyper-masculinity and support for President Trump. Their rhetoric has earned them millions of followers—and just as many enemies.

"The Tates will be free. Trump is the president. The good old days are back. And they will be better than ever," Andrew Tate declared in a recent post.

Andrew Tate's infamous track-record runs deep. In 2016, he was fired from the British reality show Big Brother after a video surfaced showing him allegedly assaulting a woman. He has also previously claimed rape victims "bear some responsibility" for their assaults.

The brothers must still appear before authorities in Romania and the U.K. when summoned.

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