Grateful Dead 1986-07-04 [Fri] Independence Day Rich Stadium, Buffalo, NY

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is facing mounting pressure from within the MAGA movement over the fate of Andrew and Tristan Tate, the manosphere influencers arrested last week on sex trafficking charges, according to a new report.

Rubio holds the authority to block or allow the Tate brothers' extradition to the United Kingdom — a decision that has become the focus of an increasingly vocal campaign from prominent figures on the right, The Bulwark reported Thursday.

Rep. Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ) has emerged as one of the most outspoken advocates for the brothers, according to the report.

Hamadeh described their prosecution in both the UK and Romania, where they have for years faced rape and sex trafficking allegations, as politicized "lawfare" and called on the Trump administration to refuse extradition of the dual American-British citizens.

Other right-wing figures, including podcaster Nick Fuentes and commentator Patrick Bet-David, have echoed similar defenses, with Bet-David going so far as to call the Tates an inspiration to fatherless children.

The pressure comes despite — or perhaps because of — a documented pattern of goodwill between the Tates and figures close to Trump, the Bulwark reported.

The brothers have reportedly had friendly exchanges with Barron Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and Trump-aligned official Ric Grenell reportedly engaged with Romanian officials during the years the Tates were barred from leaving that country, shortly before travel restrictions were lifted.

The Tates were also reportedly socializing with administration figures in Washington just days before their arrest.

At a press conference this week, Rubio declined to say whether the State Department would intervene, telling reporters he didn't see a role for the department "at this moment" and that he wouldn't "opine on something that's still working through a legal process."

That carefully hedged language has left open the possibility of future involvement, even as both Rubio and Trump are reportedly not currently planning to act on the brothers' behalf, the Bulwark reported.

Adding to the pressure, Tate attorney Joseph McBride — a MAGA-aligned lawyer who has also represented Jan. 6 defendants — has been amplifying supportive commentary from administration-adjacent figures online, including a tweet from GSA official Paul Ingrassia referencing the "presumption of innocence."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's press conference to attack his Democratic rival, state Rep. James Talarico, went off the rails on Tuesday as reporters repeatedly asked him about his own political scandals — ultimately driving him to cut the event off early and run away.

The event was a gathering of Texas sheriffs, intended to focus on police issues and attack Talarico for supposedly wanting to defund law enforcement.

"General, I wanted to give you a chance to respond to State Representative Talarico and his campaign," said one reporter. "They've made a lot about the reports that have come out, one in the New York Times, about you acquiring properties worth—"

"Can we keep this to law enforcement?" Paxton said, cutting him off.

"I'm giving you the opportunity to answer—" the reporter said.

"I'd like to — because we're here with the sheriffs, I'd like to keep today to law enforcement," said Paxton. "So that's what I'm going to hand you. Questions about law enforcement."

Paxton's aide then called on another reporter.

"Will you answer a question about why you voted in Collin County?" asked the reporter. "Clear that up?"

Paxton shook his head with agitation, as his aide said, "So we're just going to do questions on law enforcement today, because we're joined with 22 amazing law enforcement officers."

Shortly after this, as another reporter tried to ask a question, the aide started waving her hand, saying, "We're going to get out of here. We're going to get out of here," as Paxton walked off the stage, leaving the sheriffs to stand around.