Now a new investigation into the political maneuvers that led to the release of Andrew and Tristan Tate,

right-wing influencers charged with rape, human trafficking, and other crimes.

The Tates, who are major players with big social media followings in the so-called manosphere,

are facing criminal investigations in Romania and criminal charges in the UK.K. for alleged sex crimes.

The brothers had been barred from leaving Romania for years as prosecutors built their case,

but in February, the Romanian government suddenly lifted the travel ban and allowed the two

to board a plane to Florida, which they announced in this video recorded on the plane.

Both men have denied the criminal allegations.

A new report from the New York Times

reveals how the Trump administration

and some members of the president's family

may have been involved in a larger movement

in conservative circles to support the Tate's.

For more, we're joined now by New York Times

investigative reporter Megan Tewy,

who helped break the story.

Thanks for being with us. Happy to be with you. So for the unfamiliar, tell us more about who the Tate brothers are

and the criminal allegations they were facing in Romania. So Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan,

to a lesser extent, are two of the most influential figures in the so-called Manosphere world.

Andrew is a former kickboxer who has built a huge, massive online audience by preaching

brazen masculinity and chauvinism to a young male audience. He and his brother have also also ran a porn business for

about 10 years, bragging about how they lured and steered women into making sexual content

...