Andrew Tate is back. Now what?

Andrew Tate is Back. Now What?

In the midst of the ongoing chaos that has marked the Trump administration's first month, you might have missed something: Andrew Tate, the infamous manosphere influencer known for his misogynistic views, is free and back in the United States. After being detained in Romania for over two years on charges of rape, sex trafficking, and money laundering, Tate’s release in February came courtesy of US diplomatic intervention. The Romanian courts, who had previously refused to allow Tate to leave the country, suddenly reversed their stance after high-level officials from the Trump administration advocated on his behalf.  

My friends with pre-teen children often ask me how to navigate a world where online figures like Tate, who are famous not despite but because of their misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic views, seem to be everywhere. Their children are being targeted with an arsenal of harmful content from Tate and other manosphere influencers, and it can be overwhelming for parents to know how to handle this.

It’s easy to be outraged by this situation - how could the Trump administration ally themselves with  someone like Tate? The irony of the Trump Administration going out of their way to bring a known sex offender back to the US while deporting thousands of innocent asylum seekers is not lost here. But, to quote Judith Butler, we should not let our outrage paralyze us. While anger is a natural response, we must avoid letting it overwhelm us to the point where we stop thinking critically about the broader picture - and what we can do about it.

Supporting parents to talk to kids about radical influencers

I always tell my friends that it’s natural to feel scared about these figures influencing young kids, but the key to combating the power of influencers like Tate lies in understanding why they are so effective. The reason they resonate so strongly is because they provide simple, albeit misguided, answers to the real struggles many young men face. By making young men feel seen and heard, they create a sense of connection and belonging, which is especially powerful in an era of pervasive social isolation. 

At Equimundo, we conducted research with Futures Without Violence to better understand these online spaces, while exploring how alternative online spaces could emerge to promote positive, happier and healthier masculinities. And through our Global Boyhood Initiative, we are also developing tools to help adults guide children so that they learn to navigate this deluge of harmful content in an informed way from a young age.

In a world where two thirds of young men in the US feel that no one really knows them, the pressures of societal expectations surrounding masculinity, paired with feelings of disconnection and a lack of purpose, have created fertile ground for figures like Tate to rise to prominence. 

Building a world in which boys – and all children – thrive

To counter the rise of manosphere influencers, we must make it clear that there are healthy, positive ways to be a man in today’s world. By doing so, we can prevent misogynistic influencers from exploiting young men’s fears and insecurities for financial and political gain. 

This isn’t just about offering alternatives to Tate’s harmful rhetoric - it’s about actively building a vision for positive masculinity and communities that promote it. A masculinity that leads with respect, values mutual support, embraces empathy and inclusivity, and doesn’t rely on violence or dominance to feel validated. It’s about expanding our understanding of true strength to include vulnerability and the courage to ask for help, rather than perpetuating the false notion - so prevalent in the current Trump administration - that strength comes from hiding weaknesses and bullying those in need. 

As one Equimundo colleague put it, “it’s about humanizing boys,” making them feel seen and heard, and giving them the tools to build a better future for themselves. And that benefits all of us.