Charges against Larry Bushart, who was jailed for over a month for a Trump meme, were unexpectedly dropped Wednesday. Bushart was arrested for threatening mass violence at a school because the meme, which quoted Trump, was misinterpreted as a threat to shoot up Perry County High School. The dismissal occurred after a NewsChannel 5 interview revealed investigators knew the meme referred to an Iowa shooting, not the local school. Furthermore, new video footage raised questions about the sheriff’s initial account of the encounter, ultimately leading to the nolle prosequi.
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A Tennessee man, Larry Bushart, was arrested and charged with making threats of mass violence after posting a meme referencing Donald Trump in a Facebook group memorializing slain right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, which was misinterpreted by members of the group as a threat against their local high school. Despite investigators acknowledging the meme was not a direct threat, Bushart was arrested and held for over a month. However, the charges against him have since been dropped, after an interview revealed authorities were responding to community anxiety rather than an actual threat. Bushart, who lost his job due to his imprisonment, had been arrested and charged in connection with the fallout from Kirk’s death, who had been assassinated on a college campus.
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New court filings allege that the creators of the $MELANIA cryptocurrency, launched by Melania Trump, orchestrated a pump-and-dump scheme. The coin’s value surged to $13.73 shortly after its January release before plummeting to mere cents, mirroring the trajectory of Donald Trump’s $TRUMP coin. Investors accuse executives of the Meteora exchange platform of manipulating the market by indirectly purchasing large quantities of the coin and then reselling them for profit. This case has been added to existing legal proceedings, while the Trump family has reportedly earned significant profits from various cryptocurrency ventures.
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Cryptocurrency investors have filed a lawsuit alleging that the creators of the Melania coin, along with cofounders of Meteora and Kelsier Labs, engaged in a pump-and-dump scheme. The complaint accuses Benjamin Chow and Hayden Davis of using a “repeatable six-step ‘playbook'” to fraudulently inflate the value of the meme coin and others before selling them off, resulting in significant investor losses. The plaintiffs claim that Melania Trump’s name and likeness were used as “window dressing” to mislead investors into believing the venture was legitimate, despite the coin’s drastic devaluation since its launch. The case is expected to clarify token launch expectations and disclosures in the US, according to the plaintiffs’ attorney.
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President Donald Trump shared a meme referencing the O.J. Simpson car chase, depicting former President Barack Obama as the driver of the white Ford Bronco and an unflatteringly edited version of Vice President JD Vance as a police officer. This meme, originating from a pro-Trump account, seems to reference Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s recent referral of Obama administration officials to the Justice Department. The post, shared on Trump’s Truth Social and Instagram accounts, drew criticism and requests for the release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, indicating the public’s attention was diverted to other scandals. Trump’s association with Epstein has long been a source of controversy.
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A 21-year-old Norwegian tourist was detained at Newark Airport and subsequently returned to Norway, allegedly due to a doctored photo of J.D. Vance found on his phone. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) claimed the detainment was due to admitted drug use, as they also found a photo of the tourist with a weed pipe. The CBP’s public response to the story, rather than ignoring it, led to widespread dissemination of the image, demonstrating a failure to understand the Streisand Effect. As a result, the image of Vance is now prevalent.
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The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has refuted claims that a Norwegian traveler, Mads Mikkelsen, was denied entry due to a meme depicting Vice President JD Vance. According to CBP, Mikkelsen was denied entry for admitting to drug use, not for political reasons. Despite the CBP’s statement, the traveler claims that officials reviewed his phone, saw the meme, and denied him entry, raising questions about potential heightened scrutiny. This incident is part of a broader trend of increased denials and scrutiny by the Department of Homeland Security, fueled by stricter immigration policies under the Trump administration and has caused some countries to issue travel warnings.
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President Trump’s $TRUMP meme coin gala, attended by 220 high-spending guests including crypto influencers and celebrities, resulted in a 16% price drop shortly after. The event, criticized by lawmakers as fueling “crypto corruption,” raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, especially given the involvement of SEC-charged mogul Justin Sun, the top $TRUMP holder. The gala’s lavish display contrasted with attendees’ reported disappointment, including underwhelming food and Trump’s brief 23-minute appearance. This controversy threatens to derail bipartisan stablecoin legislation, jeopardizing potential U.S. leadership in the global digital payments race.
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John Q. Hosedrinker