Trump Official With a ‘Nazi Streak’ Intervened to Help Andrew Tate: Report

AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File

When Andrew and Tristan Tate’s electronic devices were seized by Customs and Border Protection officials in Florida, a controversial White House official intervened on their behalf, attempting to get the brothers’ devices returned to them, according to a report by ProPublica.

The Tates have faced a long list of legal problems, including criminal indictments in Romania and the UK and lawsuits filed by British women accusing Andrew Tate of rape and severe abuse. The brothers have amassed gigantic online followings; just on X alone they have more than 14 million followers between them. They are widely credited in MAGA world for helping convince young men to vote for President Donald Trump, but have also been loudly criticized by prominent conservative voices for their misogynistic content, bragging about abusing and demeaning women, including some who were underage.

But that criticism is not universal across the right. Prominent conservative influencers have come to their defense, citing free speech grounds and praising their ability to sway young men to the GOP; and the Trump administration reportedly lobbied the Romanian government to lift the Tates’ travel restrictions.

When the Tates flew to the U.S. in a private plane, landing in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in February, their electronic devices were seized by CBP officials — but, as ProPublica reported, they “had a powerful ally come to their aid,” a White House official who “intervened on their behalf.”

That official was Paul Ingrassia, an attorney employed as the White House’s liaison with the Department of Homeland Security and who has his own collection of controversies.

Ingrassia’s past incendiary commentary includes supporting Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes, urging Trump to “declare martial law” after losing the 2020 election in order to illegally stay in power, and pushing an unsupported birther attack claiming Nikki Haley was constitutionally ineligible to be president — as well as vociferously defending the Tates, both in his public commentary and by acting as their attorney.

Trump initially appointed Ingrassia to lead the Office of Special Counsel, but Ingrassia withdrew after his past racist text messages were leaked, including one where he described himself as having a “Nazi streak.” Less than a month later, however, the president kept Ingrassia in his role as DHS special liaison and expanded his role to deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration.

According to ProPublica, Ingrassia sent a “written request” to senior DHS officials telling them to return the electronic devices back to the Tates a few days after they were originally seized upon their arrival in Florida. In the message, the report said, “Ingrassia chided authorities for taking the action, saying the seizure of the Tates’ devices was not a good use of time or resources,” and made it clear that the request “was coming from the White House.”

Ingrassia’s request “caused alarm among DHS officials,” who were worried that complying with the White House’s request could constitute interference with a federal investigation and found it highly irregular to contemplate relinquishing custody of potential evidence, ProPublica reported, citing interviews with DHS officials and review of screenshots of their communications at the time:

One official who was involved and spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid facing retribution said they were disgusted by the request’s “brazenness and the high-handed expectation of complicity.”

“It was so offensive to what we’re all here to do, to uphold the law and protect the American people,” the person said. “We don’t want to be seen as handing out favors.”

Joseph McBride, the attorney currently representing the Tate brothers, told ProPublica their electronic devices had not been returned so far. He said that his clients were innocent but he was not sure if any investigations into the electronic devices or anything else related to them were still ongoing.

ProPublica reached Ingrassia by phone and he spoke briefly to the reporter, saying “There was no intervention. Nothing happened. There was nothing.”

“Mr. Ingrassia never ordered that the Tate Brothers’ devices be returned to them, nor did he say — and nor would he have ever said — that such a directive came from the White House,” wrote Ingrassia’s attorney, Edward Paltzik, in a text message. “This story is fiction, simply not true.”