Nigel Farage says Andrew Tate is an important voice for emasculated young boys
Nigel Farage officially no longer has the ability to surprise me. The Reform UK leader has never been one to shy away from controversy. Notorious for his stance on anti-immigration—does anyone remember when he said that he felt “uncomfortable” hearing people speaking other languages on London transport?—Farage has also recently decided to lather praise onto everyone’s favourite misogynist, Andrew Tate.
In an interview on the Strike It Big podcast in February 2024, Farage spoke at length about Tate. Specifically, Farage touched on how the influencer, who built his career by championing toxic masculinity, had played a vital role in “defending” masculinity.
The right-wing politician also went on to state that Tate had been an “important voice” for the “emasculated” and given boys “perhaps a bit of confidence at school.”
Tate, alongside his brother Tristan, is currently still awaiting trial in Romania after being arrested in December 2022 on suspicion of human trafficking and rape.
According to Sky News, Romania’s DIICOT unit, which investigates terrorism and organised crimes, stated that it has identified six victims who were subject to “acts of physical violence and mental coercion” and were “sexually exploited by group members.”
The case alleges that both Tate brothers lured women to Romania on the pretence of a romantic relationship, only to force them into performing pornographic acts under duress, which were then filmed.
In the podcast episode, speaking on how the controversial influencer’s brand rebelled against the idea that masculinity was something to be looked down upon, Farage also stated: “Tate fed into that by saying, ‘Hang on, what’s wrong with being a bloke? What’s wrong in male culture? What’s wrong in male humour?’ He fed into those things. His was a campaign of raising awareness, his was a campaign of giving people perhaps a bit of confidence at school or whatever it was to speak up.”
Shortly before his arrest, Tate was banned from multiple social media platforms, all due to the fact that moderators believed that he posed a “genuine threat” to young people.
Indeed, Tate’s online rhetoric had nothing to do with actually uplifting young boys or helping them understand how masculinity can be a fruitful and important thing, rather his sole purpose was to demean women, reduce them to flesh only useful for sexual purposes, and fuel anger and rage among disillusioned youth who were convinced that the ‘manosphere’ was the only way forward.
Tate has most definitely had an incredibly large impact on young boys across the world, but it hasn’t been a positive one, it’s been incredibly damaging and perhaps even irreparable.
Also, just so you’re aware Farage, casually popping in a comment or two about how some of the things Tate has said are “pretty horrible” does not then counteract or curb your evident admiration for one of the most harmful men the 21st century has ever seen.
