Tennessee Sheriff Forced to Pay $835,000 After Jailing Retired Cop for Trump Meme
‘No one should be dragged off in the dead of night for a meme. But in Perry County, that is exactly what happened.’
Bushart’s Ordeal: Jailed for a Meme, Freed by the First Amendment
A Tennessee community is erupting with outrage and relief after retired police officer Larry Bushart walked away with an $835,000 settlement-money paid by the very sheriff’s department that unlawfully threw him behind bars for 37 days over a satirical Trump meme. This jaw-dropping free speech victory exposes a chilling tale of government overreach and, ultimately, American justice prevailing over local hostility toward conservative voices online.
It all started following the 2024 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, which sent political tensions sky-high nationwide. As local citizens in Perry County prepared a vigil, Bushart-who had spent a lifetime serving his community as law enforcement-shared a meme on Facebook. The image featured President Donald Trump next to a quote following the infamous school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa: ‘We have to get over it.’ According to multiple reports, Bushart did not create, edit, or promote any violence; he simply reacted to the vigil event the way millions of Americans do-by posting online commentary.
But local authorities saw something different. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems, apparently on a one-man crusade, lambasted Bushart for ‘intentionally seeking to create hysteria within the community’. The sheriff alleged that Bushart was fully aware his post would spark fear and chose to do it anyway. Driven by claims of ‘threats’ but refusing to admit it was a matter of political disagreement, Sheriff Weems had Bushart arrested in September 2025-simply for refusing to delete a meme some deemed distasteful. Freedom of expression, it seemed, was all but dead in this Tennessee county.
No law-abiding citizen should fear midnight knockdowns for exercising constitutional speech, especially not in their golden years.
Yet the story took an even darker turn. In a decision shocking legal experts, Bushart was held on an eye-popping $2 million bail-a number wildly out of step for any nonviolent so-called ‘social media threat’ case. Unable to post bond, the retired officer endured 37 days in jail. According to Bushart himself, the real toll was personal: he lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and wasn’t there for the birth of his grandchild-all because of a single meme. Conservative Americans watched in horror as an upstanding citizen paid the highest price for an innocuous Facebook post.
Social Media Backlash Explodes, Free Speech Advocates Rally Around Bushart
As word spread about Bushart’s jailing, social media lit up with fury. Hashtags like #FreeBushart and #MemesAreNotCrimes rocketed to the top of right-leaning forums, while major figures across the country demanded answers. Was this America or communist China? The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) stepped in to represent Bushart, calling out the prosecution as a gross violation of core freedoms. FIRE attorney Adam Steinbaugh denounced the arrest, warning that ‘no one should be hauled off to jail in the dark of night over a harmless meme just because the authorities disagree with its message.’ The conservative legal world began rallying behind Bushart, arguing that if this could happen to a retired officer, it could happen to anyone.
Even as left-leaning media outlets lightly covered the story, right-wing news and commentators dug deeper, exposing how other Americans lost jobs and livelihoods over their reactions to Charlie Kirk’s tragic death-including but not limited to hundreds who faced online harassment or firings. But Bushart’s case was different: here was a man literally thrown in jail without a shred of violence or actual threat, his only crime being unvarnished commentary on a hyper-partisan event.
After a month and a week in jail, Larry Bushart was finally released in October, when the felony charge against him was dropped and a judge agreed-however ‘distasteful’ the meme, it was protected by the First Amendment. The ruling reinforced the longstanding Supreme Court principle that even heated political rhetoric and satire count as constitutionally guaranteed speech, no matter how unpopular in certain quarters.
The Supreme Court has long held that controversial political speech is protected-even if its message upsets the government.
The chilling effect of Bushart’s ordeal resonated across the country. Law-abiding conservatives watched in alarm as cancel culture weaponized by local authorities nearly destroyed an American family, all because they dared to dissent online. Perry County’s reputation paid an even steeper price, as people began questioning whether law and order now bows to the whims of politically correct bureaucrats. The story laid bare the fragility of American liberties in the digital age, especially for those unwilling to toe the progressive party line.
Settlement Sends Shockwaves: Will Tennessee Wake Up to the Erosion of American Rights?
On May 20, 2026, just months before the midterm elections, Perry County and its insurance providers agreed to pay Bushart a stunning $835,000 to drop the federal civil rights lawsuit he’d filed against the sheriff, the investigator, and county officials who orchestrated his unconstitutional arrest. The official statement denied wrongdoing but delivered cold, hard cash-a silent confession that local leaders knew they’d crossed a bright red constitutional line. Unfortunately, not all wounds heal so easily: Bushart suffered the loss of not only his job, but irreplaceable moments with family, friends, and the Tennessee community he had sworn to serve.
This record settlement has already rippled through Tennessee law enforcement circles. Conservative watchdogs and legal experts warn that smaller local agencies will feel the enormous sting of the payout for years to come. County officials are left scrambling to answer how a meme on Facebook, a tool of modern political dialogue, nearly cost taxpayers a million dollars-simply because power was abused.
This case is a glaring warning to all Americans-especially those living in so-called ‘red states’-that the battle for free speech is far from over. Even as President Donald Trump’s second term reasserts American values at the federal level, local actors remain capable of undermining fundamental rights. If the Supreme Court’s guidance on political speech can be ignored by a rural sheriff, what’s to stop similar abuses elsewhere?
‘The settlement does not make up for the time I lost, but I am grateful my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,’ Bushart told reporters-sounding the alarm for every freedom-loving American.
With the 2026 midterm elections looming, Perry County voters face a critical question: Will they continue to support officials who trample constitutional rights in the name of squashing dissent, or will they stand with men like Larry Bushart, who’ve paid personally for liberty? The eyes of Tennessee-and the entire country-are watching.
One thing is certain: this case is a potent reminder that no matter what side of the political divide you stand on, constitutional rights are only safe when we zealously defend them for all. In a climate still reeling from the political fallout of Charlie Kirk’s killing and an America more divided than ever, Bushart’s settlement is not just a win for him, but for every patriotic American with the courage to speak freely. Let Perry County’s loss be a lesson-and a warning.
