Tate, a wealthy, crude-talking British-American, is likely well-known to young adults and teens for his social media presence. He is also accused of serious sex-related crimes in Great Britain and in Romania, but he is currently in the news after fleeing to the U.S. after Romanian officials lifted a travel restriction for him and his brother, Tristan.
Reacting to that news, French told the “Holy Post Media” podcast he sees a connection between Tate and Donald Trump, and somehow ties that questionable connection to evangelical voters who returned Trump to the White House.
“So when you're hearing stories like Andrew Tate, the pornographer who is accused of rape and sex trafficking, is now being allowed to come to the United States after American diplomatic pressure, that is what the Church has done,” French said.
Not done with that accusation against faithful churchgoers, French then suggested Evangelicals not only “reject” the belief that good character matters in political leaders. “They scorn it,” he told the podcast host.
“David French is off the tracks,” conservative activist Gary Bauer tells AFN. “I don't know what's wrong with him.”
What likely happened to French is so-called Trump Derangement Syndrome. That political-related affliction involves hate for Trump's controversial style and populist message. It has claimed other conservative thinkers such as Bill Kristol, Steve Hayes, Jonah Goldberg, and Mona Charen.
French, a former attorney, wrote articles and online posts for National Review for 15 years before he departed in 2019 over his criticism of Trump and his disdain for fellow Evangelicals who supported him. French's criticism of both was rewarded at The New York Times, which welcomed him in 2023 as an opinion columnist.
French even endorsed Kamala Harris for president last summer, claiming he was doing to "in part to try to save conservatism."
Reacting to French’s comments for a Not the Bee article, writer Peter Heck called French’s “attempted indictment” of fellow Christians “silly and insulting” behavior.
“It would be a Herculean task,” Heck writes, “to find an outspoken Christian evangelical who promotes, celebrates, or endorses the criminal and abusive behavior of Tate, or even his dweebish mannerisms and comical attempts at machismo.”
Heck began the article by acknowledging that many Christians refuse to “embrace” Trump and distance themselves from his character and his conduct.
“But the eagerness and giddiness that so many seem to feel to mock and deride the Bride of Christ over political disagreements is extremely disappointing,” Heck writes.
Summarizing what French has done, Heck says French is accusing Christians of bad character at the same time he is unfairly blaming them for the Tate brothers being allowed to return to the U.S.
