NYT report drags Barron Trump into Andrew Tate storm as livid rift opens on the best over the influencer’s launch
Far-right influencer Andrew Tate allegedly fostered a relationship with Donald Trump‘s youngest son Barron to bolster his efforts to flee a sex trafficking investigation in Romania, according to a report.
Tate, who is popular with young men, used Barron’s supposed admiration to build a friendship with him and older brother Donald Trump Jr. in order to garner favor with the president amid multiple rape, abuse and sex trafficking charges and investigations, the New York Times reported.
Andrew and his brother Tristan Tate, dual US-British citizens, face Romanian charges since 2022 for human trafficking and coercing women into pornography. Andrew is additionally accused of raping a 15-year-old. They also face 21 UK charges including rape, trafficking, and assault. No charges exist in the US.
The brothers were barred from leaving Romania while prosecutors built their case, but Andrew Tate was able to secure their freedom after building relationships with the Trumps.
Last year, Andrew Tate and Barron, now 19, spoke over Zoom, according to mutual friend Justin Waller, who says he was also on the call.
Waller told the Times that his tailor was fitting a suit for Barron when the call occurred, and he divulged how they discussed the criminal case in Romania and how it was an effort to silence the red-pill brothers.
The entrepreneur, who describes himself as the ‘third older Trump brother’, admitted that Barron did not say anything about helping the Tates in their case, but they did discuss backing Trump’s presidential campaign on Andrew and Tristan’s platforms.
Barron Trump with Justin Waller (second from left), UFC fighter Colby Covington (far left), podcast host Patrick Bet-David (second from right) and Barron’s best friend Bo Loudon
Andrew Tate with his ex-girlfriend Brianna Stern. Stern filed a civil lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court in late March, alleging sexual assault, battery, gender-based violence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress
Barron is ‘not a bad ally to have — let’s be frank,’ Waller told the Times.
The Tate brothers’ lawyer, Joseph McBride, forwarded a statement to the Daily Mail claiming: ‘I do wanna emphasize that there was no olive branch from the Trump Family talking about helping Andrew get out of that case in any way.’
McBride added that Waller is a ‘friend and ally’ and not an ‘authorized spokesperson’ for the Trumps.
The Tates gained millions of followers across their social media accounts by preaching financial freedom; wealth generation and entrepreneurship; and mental and physical discipline as it relates to the subjugation of women.
Barron is largely credited with motivating his father to enter into the machismo podcast world, dubbed the ‘manosphere’, during his presidential campaign to motivate younger male voters to support his father.
When Trump faced his first assassination attempt in July 2024, Andrew Tate told reporters he talked to Barron after the shooting.
‘I’m very close to the Trump family,’ Tate said. ‘I look forward to, once I am free, being with Donald Trump in person and reminding him that he’s a bulletproof badass.’
After Trump was reelected, some of Tate’s allies ascended to the new administration.
Waller calls himself Barron’s third older brother and tells the New York Times that he was present for a Zoom call he says took place last year between the president’s youngest son and Andrew Tate
In July 2024, Tate told reporters he talked to Barron after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump
There are multiple charges against and investigations into Andrew Tate (right) and his brother Tristan Tate (left). The brothers are escorted by police to a court appearances in Bucharest, Romania on March 12, 2024
In a January 14, 2025 text message reviewed by the Times, Andrew Tate wrote to a friend: ‘I had word from the Trump admin that they’re on top of things. I’ve been told I’ll be free soon but Trump needs to see me in Miami.’
Andrew’s lawyer would not comment on the validity of the private text messages.
The Times found in its investigation that the month after that text was sent, aides to Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told prosecutors to find a compromise with the Tates and lift their travel restrictions because it would appease the Trump administration.
It’s reportedly all to the credit of Trump’s diplomatic envoy Richard Grenell, who the NYT claims discussed the case with Romanian officials on two occasions.
One occasion was with ex-Romanian PM Victor Ponta at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, who at the time was an advisor to Romania’s current PM.
Ponta confirmed to the Times that they discussed the Tate case, claiming of Grenell: ‘Maybe he saw himself as releasing all the American hostages around the world.’
Grenell also discussed the case in February with Emil Hurezeanu, who was foreign minister of Romania at the time when they met at the security conference in Munich.
Two days after Grenell’s second interaction, Romanian prosecutors lifted their travel ban on the Tate brothers and within hours they left the country on a private jet with a final destination of the United States.
Grenell told the Times when reached for comment: ‘I have never met the Tate Brothers, I’ve never been to Romania.’
He did not comment on reporting that he met with Ponta at Trump’s Florida club.
Romanian prosecutors wrote in a statement to the Times that the country requires them to operate independently.
A White House official responded told the Daily Mail that they have ‘no knowledge and is not involved in anything related to’ the Tates’ legal matters.
