Episode Details

The New Yorker investigative reporter Heidi Blake joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss her reporting on Andrew Tate, the British American influencer and figurehead of the manosphere. They talk about Tate’s rise to prominence, the media empire he built by glorifying ideas about male dominance and female subjugation, and the allegations of rape, assault, coercion, and sex trafficking that have followed him and his brother, Tristan, across multiple countries. Drawing on leaked documents and messages, interviews with both Tates, and testimony from women who say they were victimized by the brothers, Blake explains how Tate’s online persona reflects a much longer history of alleged abuse and exploitation. Blake and Foggatt also explore Tate’s growing ties to people in Donald Trump’s orbit, and whether his support for Trump and the MAGA movement helped shape the political response to the investigations against him.

This week’s reading:

• “Andrew Tate’s Empire of Abuse,” by Heidi Blake
• “Has Nancy Mace’s Crusade Against Sexual Violence Ruined Her Career?,” by Moira Donegan
• “The Supreme Court’s Latest Blow to Black Voters’ Rights,” by Ruth Marcus
• “For the Nation’s Birthday, Making It Harder to Become an American,” by Jonathan Blitzer
• “Could Switzerland Become the First Country to Cap Its Population?,” by Jessi Jezewska Stevens

The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. 

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