Fox News host Tucker Carlson hails Andrew Tate for being 'really smart' and 'completely real'
BUCHAREST, ROMANIA: Tucker Carlson once again backed social media influencer Andrew Tate, who is currently imprisoned in Romania. The 36-year-old former kickboxer and his brother, Tristan, have been held in Romania since December 2022 on suspicion of rape and human trafficking offenses.
Carlson had previously called Tate's arrest "obviously a set up" which "looks like a human rights violation." The conservative political commentator described the influencer as "really smart" and "completely genuine" on the 'Full Send Podcast'.
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Tucker Carlson on Andrew Tate’s Core Message 🤝 pic.twitter.com/ogKUnEVzwn
— Full Send Podcast (@fullsendpodcast) March 11, 2023
What did Tucker Carlson say?
Carlson reportedly said, "I will say it, I’m just being honest, that there’s some that I miss about Andrew Tate, but the spirit that animates Andrew Tate is very clear and very obvious and it’s not a malicious spirit at all."
Carlson spoke about how he read Tate's message. "Andrew Tate’s core message is respect yourself. Act like you’re worth something. Achieve something. Do something. Get the f*** off the couch. Put down the porn. Like go do something with your life." He said, "... And I feel like that’s the greatest message that anyone could give. And I mean that’s how I read Andrew Tate’s message. So of course, it just tells you everything about the people in charge that’s threatening. How is that threatening?"
'Tate directed associates to recruit two right-wing lawmakers'
Carlson claimed that the same individuals, who were on "Pedo Island" with sex offenders Jeffery Epstein and Harvey Weinstein, claimed to be women's rights advocates. Tate, who has been primarily based in Romania since 2017, is a self-described misogynist who has amassed millions of admirers, especially among young men attracted to his image. Reports indicated that he tried to fight the rape and trafficking claims while in custody by directing associates to recruit two right-wing lawmakers to his mission, as per The Independent.
Tate directed two associates to inform politicians George Simion and Diana Iovanovici-Sosoaca that he was being targeted and backing him would be "very good for their careers," according to phone taps of his phone calls presented to a court by Romanian prosecutors. "So make it clear to them: You will get a lot of votes when Tate says you took their side," Tate said in a January 28 call. While Simion refuted the claim that the influencer reportedly approached him and told him that he would not openly support the social media influencer if he was asked to, a rep of Senator Iovanovici-Sosoaca claimed that the wiretapped talks were "lies" that were intended to harm her.
Recent reports said a judge denied bail for Tate, stating that he must stay in jail as he had been charged with sex trafficking. For a long time, his attorneys have maintained that keeping him in preventative custody was overly harsh because there were other legal alternatives, like house arrest, that can be used instead. Judges have not agreed on anything yet, based on concerns that he might leave the country, tamper with witnesses or evidence, or disrupt the peace if he were released.