{"id":2605124,"date":"2026-05-20T14:56:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-jailed-over-kirk-assassination-meme-hails-victory-for-first-amendment\/"},"modified":"2026-05-20T14:56:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T18:56:36","slug":"man-jailed-over-kirk-assassination-meme-hails-victory-for-first-amendment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-jailed-over-kirk-assassination-meme-hails-victory-for-first-amendment\/","title":{"rendered":"Man jailed over Kirk assassination meme hails victory for First Amendment"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fman-jailed-over-kirk-assassination-meme-hails-victory-for-first-amendment%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2605124&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A Tennessee man, Larry Bushart, reached a settlement after being jailed for 37 days and facing a $2 million bond over Facebook memes he posted involving conservative activist Charlie Kirk after Kirk\u2019s assassination. Authorities ultimately dropped a felony charge,and Bushart later sued Perry County,Sheriff Nick Weems,and an investigator,arguing his First Amendment rights were violated. The state agreed to pay him $835,000 in exchange for dismissing the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>The dispute centered on a meme Bushart shared that referenced a quote by former President Donald Trump following a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nashville-christmas-bombing-shut-down-att-network-for-hundreds-of-miles-911-centers-disrupted-internet-service-affected-apps-in-georgia\/\" title=\"Nashville Christmas Bombing Shut Down ATT Network for Hundreds of Miles, 911 Centers Disrupted, Internet Service, Affected Apps in Georgia\">mass shooting<\/a> in Perry, Iowa. Some residents interpreted the post as a threat against Perry County High School and prompted his arrest, though the sheriff later insisted the meme was an existing internet image and that Bushart did not specifically mean the local school. Bushart said the settlement vindicated his freedom to participate in civil discourse.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>A <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/tennessee\/\">Tennessee<\/a> man was awarded a sweeping settlement after he was targeted for posting a controversial meme following conservative activist <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/charlie-kirk\/\">Charlie Kirk<\/a>\u2019s assassination last year.<\/p>\n<p>Larry Bushart was jailed for 37 days, and his bail was set at $2 million before authorities dropped a felony charge against him in October, over a month after he posted Facebook memes about <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/3888508\/trump-explains-how-charlie-kirks-murder-changed-his-life\/\">Kirk\u2019s killing<\/a>. Advocates argued the punishment was illegal, as controversial and hate speech is protected speech under the First Amendment. Critics said they interpreted one of the posts as a threat against a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/loudoun-county-update-sheriff-confirms-daily-wire-reporting-lcps-responds\/\" title=\"Loudoun County Update: ... Confirms Daily Wire Reporting, LCPS Responds\">local high school<\/a> and feared a mass shooting.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/immigration\/4575734\/tom-homan-insists-ice-not-narrowing-deportation-agenda\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Tom Homan insists ICE is not narrowing deportation agenda<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4576308\/san-diego-mosque-attack-manifesto-praises-religious-inspired-shootings\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>San Diego mosque shooting suspects\u2019 alleged manifesto praises other religious-inspired shootings<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4575348\/san-diego-mosque-shooting-manifesto\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>San Diego mosque shooters met online and shared \u2018broad hatred\u2019 for religion: FBI<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Bushart filed a lawsuit in December against Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems, and investigator Jason Morrow, who obtained the arrest warrant, alleging they violated his constitutional rights. Bushart secured a win this week, after Tennessee officials agreed to pay him $835,000 in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>\u201cI am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,\u201d he said in a statement announcing the settlement on Wednesday. \u201cThe people\u2019s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The controversy sparked last fall, when Bushart posted a meme in a Perry County Facebook group that referenced a quote President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4\">Donald Trump <\/a>made after a mass shooting in Perry, Iowa, in 2025. \u201cWe have to get over it,\u201d reads the meme, alongside a photo of Trump.<\/p>\n<p>The meme appeared to link Trump\u2019s sentiment to Bushart\u2019s indifference to Kirk\u2019s assassination. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis seems relevant today,\u201d the meme reads, referencing Trump\u2019s quote. <\/p>\n<p>Some residents interpreted the meme as a threat to shoot up Perry County High School, a local school in Linden, leading Weems to arrest Bushart for threatening to commit an act of mass violence at the school. District Attorney General Hans\u00a0Schwendimann declined to prosecute the case and dropped the charges in October. Before the charges were dropped, Bushart was held for 37 days, as he was unable to pay the $2 million bond.<\/p>\n<p>Weems said Bushart\u2019s post caused \u201cmultiple, reasonable citizens to be in fear of their children\u2019s safety at school,\u201d and claimed that the man was given, but declined a chance, to clarify his posts before authorities moved in for an arrest, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wwlp.com\/news\/national\/former-tennessee-police-officer-jailed-over-charlie-kirk-meme-awarded-settlement\/\">according to<\/a> News 2.<\/p>\n<p>In <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.newschannel5.com\/news\/newschannel-5-investigates\/jailed-for-37-days-for-posting-a-meme-of-pres-trump-tenn-man-reaches-settlement-for-civil-rights-violation\">comments to<\/a> <em>NewsChannel 5 Investigates<\/em>, Weems said he knew Bushart was not referencing Perry County High School in the highlighted post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou also knew this was an existing meme that was already out there on the Internet,\u201d the outlet pressed the sheriff. \u201cIt\u2019s clear that he\u2019s not talking about Perry County High School.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3801496\/fbi-charlie-kirk-shooting-agents-on-the-scene\/\">COX SAYS UTAH LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKING WITH FBI ON CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cCorrect,\u201d Weems agreed. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe knew,\u201d the sheriff said. \u201cThe public did not know.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Tennessee man won a sweeping settlement after a meme led to his jailing and dropped felony charge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2605125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25253691178788.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[33332,32311,80020,32285,63480],"class_list":["post-2605124","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-first-amendment","tag-free-speech","tag-kirk-assassination-meme","tag-legal-case","tag-online-harassment"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AP25253691178788.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605124","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2605124"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605124\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2605128,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2605124\/revisions\/2605128"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2605125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2605124"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2605124"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2605124"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}