Ron DeSantis has indicated that misogynistic influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan are not welcome in Florida after the pair reportedly landed in the state on a private jet flight from Romania.
In a press conference on Thursday, DeSantis said that he learned of the brothers' plans to come to Florida at the same time the media reported on it.
"The federal government has jurisdiction whether they want to rebuff his entry into the United States," he said. "I do know that our Attorney General James Uthmeier is looking at what state hooks and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this, but the reality is, no, Florida is not a place where you're welcome with that type of conduct. I don't know how it came to this, we were not involved [and] we were not notified."
As reported by The Independent, Tate and his brother landed in Florida on Thursday and briefly spoke with the press. He maintained that he is "innocent until proven guilty," and Romanian officials have lifted their travel ban.
The brothers are facing several serious charges in Romania, where they both live. The charges include rape, sexual misconduct, human trafficking, and money laundering. As reported by the Financial Times, President Donald Trump's administration put pressure on Romania to lift the travel restrictions.
Before their legal trouble, the Tates faced widespread criticism for their misogynistic content and were suspended on various social media networks, including the site formerly known as Twitter.
After Elon Musk took over Twitter, which he has since renamed X, the brothers had their accounts reinstated and have been very active on the platform.
