Andrew and Tristan Tate. Image: Video screen capture
Andrew and Tristan Tate. Image: Video screen capture
Trump's “merit-based immigration” apparently becomes considerably more flexible when the immigrants are wealthy European MAGA celebrities with millions of followers.
Republished with permission from Norman Berry
Donald Trump has spent years telling America that immigration should be about getting “the best people.”
He has railed against immigrants from poorer nations, attacked the diversity-visa system, demanded “merit-based” immigration and insisted America should admit people who “will share our values” and “love our country.”
So perhaps we should congratulate Europe. Because European authorities appear determined to take two of their citizens back. Andrew and Tristan Tate. You know—the MAGA-celebrity Tate brothers.
The men now sitting in federal custody in Miami while Britain seeks their extradition on a staggering 59 criminal charges involving seven alleged victims.
Andrew Tate faces 42 charges. Tristan faces 17. The allegations include rape, human trafficking, facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, assault and other offenses. Andrew additionally faces 19 charges involving indecent images of a child and extreme pornography. They deny wrongdoing and are entitled to their day in court.
But here’s where the hypocrisy becomes impossible to ignore. Imagine for one moment that two Muslim immigrants from Syria, Somalia or Afghanistan were sitting in a Miami jail facing 59 British charges involving rape, trafficking, violence and indecent images of children. Would MAGA be demanding America protect them from extradition? Would prominent conservatives describe the prosecution as political persecution? Would Trump-connected figures have spent years defending them? Would their attorney be warning the PRESIDENT that refusing to help them could cost Republicans young male voters?
Please; Fox News would probably have a countdown clock until the extradition flight.
But these aren’t Middle Eastern refugees. They aren’t African asylum seekers. They’re Andrew and Tristan Tate—and they cultivated powerful friends in MAGA world. Donald Trump Jr. publicly called their detention in Romania “absolute insanity” and has interacted with Andrew Tate publicly.
Trump official Richard Grenell publicly expressed support for them and discussed their situation with Romania’s foreign minister while the brothers were under travel restrictions. Paul Ingrassia who represented the Tates in litigation and publicly defended them later joined the Trump administration.
There have also been reports of contact between Andrew Tate and Barron Trump, although the Tate camp disputed reporting about that relationship. And then came perhaps the most extraordinary chapter: While the brothers were facing serious criminal proceedings in Romania, the Trump administration reportedly raised their case with Romanian officials. Romania subsequently lifted travel restrictions, allowing the brothers to fly to Florida. Trump said he knew nothing about it. Now Britain wants them back.
And suddenly the MAGA influencers who spent years portraying themselves as victims of “the Matrix” are asking the most powerful political movement in America for help. Their lawyer has gone so far as to warn Trump that failing to help the Tates could alienate young male voters. Think about that.
Two men facing dozens of charges involving rape, trafficking and violence allegedly have enough political currency within the MAGA ecosystem that their attorney believes their treatment could influence Republican electoral support.
THAT is the story.
This isn’t about guilt or innocence—that belongs to a courtroom. It’s about hypocrisy.
Because apparently “merit-based immigration” becomes considerably more flexible when the immigrants are wealthy European MAGA celebrities with millions of followers. Apparently the demand to protect America from foreigners accused of serious crimes gets quieter when those foreigners have friends in Trumpworld. And apparently “send them back” doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as easily when the people being sent back are part of your political tribe.
So I sincerely hope President Trump supports Britain’s extradition request.
After all, he has spent years demanding that other countries take their people back. Britain wants Andrew Tate. Britain wants Tristan Tate. They are British citizens. America is holding them. The British justice system wants to put them before a court. Seems pretty simple.
President Trump: You wanted countries to take their people back. Here’s your chance to demonstrate that the rule applies when the accused are wealthy European MAGA influencers just as enthusiastically as when the person at the border is poor, brown, Muslim or African.
No special treatment. No political favors. No MAGA exemption. No phone calls. No back channels. No “Matrix” conspiracy theories. Just due process.
Let Britain have its citizens.
Let prosecutors present their evidence.
Let the Tate brothers present their defense. And let a jury decide.
Because if “only the best people” is going to be the standard for who America welcomes, perhaps we should finally find out whether that standard applies to everyone—or only to people who aren’t wearing a MAGA hat.
Sources: The Crown Protection Services (CPS), Trump White House Archives, Politifact, The Guardian, Washington Post, Rollcall, Breitbart, Euronews, PBS
Norman Berry also known as the pro-survival rap artist ChillEB is an accomplished voiceover talent, jingle writer and screen actor. He recorded the theme song for the Golden State Warriors “Don’t Stop The Noise,” appeared in the Warner Brothers movie Mad City, starred in national commercials for Sega Genesis, PSA’s for the San Francisco Giants & the Contra Costa County Library System, Double Rainbow Ice Cream, Partnership For Drug Free America, Department Of Energy, Nike, Nickelodeon, National Basketball Association (NBA) and most recently recorded The Oakland Raiders theme song (for the 2015-2016 season), among more.
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