Andrew Tate, Tucker Carlson Interview: Five Key Takeaways

Andrew Tate, the influencer who is under house arrest in Romania on charges of rape, has given an in-depth interview to Tucker Carlson.

Carlson, the former Fox News presenter who is now hosting a talk show on Twitter, shared the 150-minute video on Tuesday.

His tweet posting the interview has had more than 37 million views, though it is not known how many people have watched the full conversation. The video begins with Carlson urging the viewer to decide for themselves what they think about Tate.

The British-American influencer and former kickboxer has been charged with two counts of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.

He was arrested in December 2022, along with his brother Tristan Tate. They were held in a Romanian jail for almost three months without charge before being released to house arrest.

Andrew and Tristan Tate deny all the charges against them.

Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist, pushed his regular message during the conversation but also dove into other topics. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the interview.

On the Charges Against Him

Early in the conversation, Carlson asked Tate about the charges against him. He vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

The 36-year-old said he had been charged with being the head of an organized criminal group, involved in recruiting women to make TikTok videos in order to steal the money made from the views.

He said he was accused of using the "lover boy method" to get recruits, describing this as "coercing them through being nice."

Tate added that he believes he will "beat" the case and claimed there was only "very weak evidence" against him.

He went on to suggest that "the Matrix" had been weaponised against him and the legal system was being used against him because he is opinionated. (Allusions to the Matrix movie franchise and its depiction of "taking the red pill" are common among conspiracy theorists and anti-feminist groups.)

Tate added that he does not wish to come across as a conspiracy theorist, but does believe his legal issues are related to his position as an influencer and an attempt to slander his name and brand.

He described false allegations of sexual offenses as the "typical weapon" used against men.

"I do think public consciousness is changing. There has been some very large court cases recently involving some very famous people in which women were caught lying, trying to slander men's names for rape and these kinds of things," Tate said.

"I don't think people believe it anymore, but that scares me to a degree because I think that the typical weapon—the standardized playbook—is now failing and I don't know what the new playbook is going to be."

Newsweek has emailed Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, which brought the charges against Tate, for comment on how he characterizes the case against him.

What He Did in Jail

He also described his months in jail, saying it was not a pleasant place.

"I looked at the wall, stared at the wall, smoked cigarettes, lots of push-ups, read the Quran," Tate said.

He added that he had introspective moments and through phone calls attempted to understand what was going on in the outside world and keep up with his loved ones.

Tate said he wasn't as "powerful as he should have been" while in jail and was concerned about feeling helpless while he was trying to help his family.

Despite these feelings, he said he had found ways to stay constructive. These included trying to make guards smile with compliments to cheer himself up.

Mental Health in Jail and Under House Arrest

Carlson asked whether, at any time, Tate felt "close to the edge," seemingly hinting at bouts of depression or suicidal thoughts.

Tate replied that he did not have those feelings and does not believe in depression.

Challenged on this, he attempted to clarify that he agrees mental health is important and that a person can feel depressed. However, he personally refuses to believe in depression, insisting that this technique means it cannot affect him.

Throughout the interview, Tate repeatedly said, "I am not suicidal," and that he "would never kill myself." He used these phrases not only when the pair were talking about his mental state but also when speaking about the goals of those he perceives as his enemies.

The West's Problems With Men and With Migrants

Carlson and Tate also discussed various socio-political issues affecting Western countries.

Tate described his views as positive masculine messages of pride, honor, accountability and standards, but said he was persecuted for them.

He argued that there was an intentional movement to de-masculinize men in the West, tying this to his criticisms of the U.K. government as well as the recent unrest in France.

The discussion morphed into an anti-immigration message, with Tate and Carlson both suggesting that neither France or the U.K were better countries for having migration from elsewhere.

"We are talking about masculinity and men who say no and men who stand up, but there has to be balance," Tate said.

"If you neuter the native population of men, if you destroy their mentality to resist, if you tell them that every single thing about masculinity is wrong and feminize and turn them into eunuchs.

"If you then import high-testosterone men of the Third World, that don't believe any of this garbage, who grew up in a society where they understand the only way to succeed is to be a fierce predator, to a degree, what do you think is going to happen?

"Who is supposed to protect the sanctity of these nations and these settlements and these towns and villages? The police? No.

"I guarantee that if you were to put a bunch of these migrants in Moscow they would behave themselves. I have a feeling they'd just look around and go 'Hmm, not today.'"

War in Ukraine

The pair also discussed the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

Tate said it was important to see war as a complex issue rather than a tale of good guys and bad guys, while Carlson suggested that people who are not pro-Ukraine are being attacked and punished.

Speculating on U.S. interest in the conflict, Tate argued it was for "either money or power as there is no other reason." He questioned whether Ukraine's sovereign rights were a significant factor.

He suggested that it is important to focus on where this money or power is going and whether those involved have the best interests of the American people.

Newsweek has contacted Tucker Carlson via Facebook and Andrew Tate via email for comment.

Specialists from the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) sexual assault hotline are available 24/7 via phone (1 (800) 656-4673) and online chat. Additional support from the group is also accessible via the mobile app.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day.