A video of Fox News host Tucker Carlson defending Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and self-described misogynist, has resurfaced after Tate was reportedly arrested in a human-trafficking probe.
Romanian prosecutors said on Thursday that Tate, his brother Tristan and two Romanian suspects would be held for at least 24 hours on suspicion of committing rape, human trafficking and attempting to form an organized crime group, according to Reuters. An attorney for the brothers also confirmed their detention to the news agency, while declining further comment.
Prosecutors reportedly said that the suspects “appear to have created an organised crime group with the purpose of recruiting, housing and exploiting women by forcing them to create pornographic content meant to be seen on specialised websites for a cost.”
Romanian authorities are said to have started their investigation of the Tate brothers in April, following allegations that the brothers were holding two women against their will, including a U.S. citizen. The brothers were born in the U.S. but hold dual American-British citizenship.
Andrew Tate was asked about the allegations during an August interview on Tucker Carlson Tonight. Carlson prefaced his question by saying that he was “skeptical” about the allegations, while Tate claimed that the allegations were unfounded and said he had been visited by Romanian authorities due to “swatting.”
In a video clip taken from the August broadcast and shared by the Twitter account @Acyn on Thursday, Carlson is shown suggesting that his viewers should question why an unnamed “they” were attempting to silence Tate.
“Why don’t they want you to hear from Andrew Tate?” Carlson asks during the clip. “Do they really think that he’s a worse influence on the youth than, say, Cardi B? Tell us how.”
“They’re telling us he’s a criminal,” he continues. “OK? Has he been charged? Who are the victims? What are their names?”
Although the names of the women have not been disclosed, Romanian prosecutors reportedly said that six victims of sexual exploitation had been identified. Tate has previously claimed that women “must bear some responsibility” for being raped.
Tate was detained after his heated exchange with teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg, which featured a brutal takedown of Tate, went viral on Twitter. Tate, who has been permanently banned from multiple social media platforms, was recently reinstated to Twitter under Elon Musk‘s ownership.
The exchange began when Tate attempted to troll Thunberg by asking for her email address so she could review his large collection of cars and “their respective enormous emissions.”
“Yes, please do enlighten me,” Thunberg replied. “Email me at [email protected]”
Thunberg’s response quickly blew up, receiving over 3.1 million likes and praise from many.
Tate attempted to hit back by accusing Thunberg of having “a small penis” and sharing a comparatively poorly received video response.
A pizza box from a local chain was visible in Tate’s video, which unconfirmed reports claim tipped off Romanian investigators to Tate’s presence in the country, leading to his arrest.
Tate became an internet celebrity in part due to his repeated controversial and misogynistic statements. He has also gained attention for his outspoken support of former President Donald Trump and appearances on conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ Infowars webcast.
Newsweek has reached out to Fox News for comment.
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