Taxpayers Pay $59K for Ogles ad Touting cuts to 'wasteful spending,' but Ogles is Not Among the Worst in Abusing Franking Privaledges.

 by Rod Williams, May 30, 2026 - The Tennessean today ran an article by Vivian Jones reporting that Andy Ogles had 86 taxpayer-funded mass emails, texts, TV ads, and mailings since taking office four years ago, costing the taxpayers $59,000. 

Now, let me be clear: I think Andy Ogles is a scumbag. He is a liar and corrupt and is embarrassingly subservient to Trump. When it comes to Trump, he is like a puppy dog yearning for that pat on the head and being told, "good boy." I hope he is defeated. 

Despite my opinion of Ogles, when it comes to abusing the franking privileges of members of Congress, Ogles is not one of the worst offenders; he does not even come close. 

I am posting below what my Bing Co-pilot found. I know some will dismiss any AI-generated summary, but the source of the data in this summary is cited. I am certain that if one researches the issue, they will find that Bing Co-pilot is accurate. The information I have listed below is easily available. While Vivian Jones is no doubt accurate in what she reports about Ogles using taxpayer funds to promote himself, she should have provided context. It is not that Ogles abuses the privilege that is the problem, but that the system is widely abused. 

Reform to prohibit abuse would be difficult. I think we want elected officials to communicate with the electorate. How one permits that and yet keeps that privilege from being abused is difficult. Communication and self-promotion are almost impossible to separate.  Currently, taxpayer-paid ads and mailings have to be approved by the House Communications Standards Commission before being sent. Perhaps those standards could be tightened, but to police what other members could say in their constituent communications could itself be subject to abuse. There is a certain advantage in incumbency, and I think we just have to accept that. Those who abuse that advantage should be called out, but to be fair, their abuse should be put in context

Top U.S. House Members Using Franking Privileges for Ads

Recent analyses show that some House members have spent large amounts of taxpayer-funded franking money on broadcast and digital ads, often with messaging that borders on political.

Top spenders in the 2024 cycle (AdImpact data) Punchbowl News

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D‑Mich.) – $1.4 million total franked ad spending. His ads focus on constituent service, such as helping with passports and IRS issues, and he used the spending to bolster his profile ahead of a competitive primary.

Rep. Brandon Williams (R‑N.Y.) – $432,000. Ads highlight his support for Israel and his stance on antisemitism, with messaging like “holding the radical left accountable.”

Rep. Claudia Tenney (R‑N.Y.) – $424,000. Ads address the southern border and her vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R‑Fla.) – $350,000. Specific ad content not detailed in the report.

Rep. Pat Ryan (D‑N.Y.) – $300,000. Ads reference his work against corporate entities like Central Hudson Gas & Electric, with slogans like “standing against corporate greed.”

Other notable franking use

Rep. Mariannette Miller‑Meeks (R‑Iowa) – While not in the top five for ad spend, she has used hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars for constituent outreach, much of it through her top campaign vendor, and has leveraged her frequent floor speeches and earmarks to build goodwill Bleeding Heartland.

Rep. Shri Thanedar’s billboards – In 2023, his office spent nearly $327,000 on advertising, with $45,460 going to billboard companies. These were part of a broader outreach push after redistricting and a competitive primary Business Insider.

Compared to these big spenders of taxpayer-funded communications, Ogles $59,000 is kind of paltry. Below are excerpts from the Vivian Jones article:

Taxpayers Pay $59K for Ogles ad Touting cuts to 'wasteful spending,' 

by Vivian Jones, The Tennessean, May 30, 2026 - U.S. taxpayers are footing the bill for $59,735 in airtime running a new ad by U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles as he faces a primary challenge from former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in August.

Ogles appears alongside President Donald Trump as an announcer calls him “a proven leader” working to “cut wasteful spending.”

The embattled two-term congressman purchased $9,700 in spots on FOX17 and more than $50,000 in airtime on WSMV that will run into early June, paid for with the congressional frank. 

House members seeking reelection are allowed to use their taxpayer-funded office allowances to pay for “franked” mailers, digital ads, TV airtime and text campaigns to tout their accomplishments and boost name recognition. They’re barred from explicitly mentioning upcoming elections or asking for votes.

.... Franked mailings are barred in the 60 days leading up to elections. Blackout for the August primary begins on June 7. Ogles' ad is set to run until June 6.

... A announcer calls Ogles “a Middle Tennessee family man fighting alongside President Trump” to “secure the border,” “lower taxes” and “defend conservative values.” 

The ad closes with a photo of Ogles and Trump together behind the resolute desk in the Oval Office.

... Ogles has had 86 taxpayer-funded mass emails, texts, TV ads and mailings since taking office four years ago. During his first term in office, he spent more than $335,000 on taxpayer-funded constituent communications between January 2023 and March 2024, far outpacing others in the Tennessee delegation. (read it all)

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Kilmar Abrego Garcia fights deportation to Liberia after criminal charges dropped

by Ariana Figueroa, Tennessee Lookout, May 29, 2026 - Following a dismissal of criminal charges the Trump administration lodged against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the wrongly deported Maryland resident Thursday pressed a federal judge to prevent his removal to any country that is not Costa Rica, which has agreed to accept him as a refugee. 

The filing in the federal District Court for the District of Maryland comes after a federal judge in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 22 dismissed the U.S. Department of Justice’s criminal indictment charges of human smuggling that stemmed from a 2022 traffic stop. The judge called the prosecution “vindictive and selective.”

Abrego Garcia’s habeas petition before Maryland federal Judge Paula Xinis argues that the Trump administration did not make a genuine effort to remove him to a country where he would not be harmed, persecuted, or potentially sent back to his home country of El Salvador. He has had protections against deportation to El Salvador since 2019. 

The Trump administration is trying to again deport Abrego Garcia to the west African country of Liberia. 

Abrego Garcia, whose wrongful deportation to a brutal Salvadoran mega-prison known as CECOT cast a national spotlight on the Trump administration’s aggressive deportation campaign, has agreed to be removed to Costa Rica because the Central American country will grant him protections and refugee status. 

But the Trump administration would only allow for his removal if he pleaded guilty to the Tennessee criminal indictment, which was dismissed last week. Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty and since then, the Trump administration has tried to remove him to the African nations of Eswatini and Uganda.

“Considered cumulatively, the Government’s message is clear: because Abrego Garcia successfully challenged his unlawful removal to CECOT, declined the Government’s plea offer, and has continued to prevail in courts, the Government would rather seek to unlawfully remove him to a distant third country than lawfully remove him to the country he has designated,” according to the filing. “That is not a removal policy. It is punishment.”

The new filing asks Xinis to make a final order to resolve Abrego Garcia’s habeas petition by barring the Trump administration from deporting him to Liberia, or any country that is not Costa Rica. The filing also asks for the Trump administration to be prevented from redetaining Abrego Garcia, unless he will be removed to Costa Rica. 

Abrego Garcia was brought back to the U.S. from El Salvador to face the criminal indictment. Several courts, including the Supreme Court, found his removal to that country illegal, but the high court stopped short of requiring the Trump administration to return him to the United States.

Rod's Comment: 
Why? Why does the Trump administration spend so much effort to send this man to Africa or jail him, when they could just deport him to Costa Rica? Deporting him anywhere and separating him from his family would seem like a win for Trump. This deportation could have been effected a long time ago, if Trump had not tried to send him to the CECOT torture prison in El Salvador. Garcia had an order prohibiting deportation to El Salvador. The administration could have admitted that they made a mistake and then deported him to Costa Rico or elsewhere. Instead, Trump first tried to imprison him, then tried to send him to a war-torn hellhole. Uganda? No one should be sent to Uganda. The State Department has a "Level 4 - Do not travel" advisory for Uganda.  

So why? Why is Trump so determined to punish this guy? It is because that is who Trump is. He is mean, cruel, and a bully who will not tolerate anyone who embarrasses him, and he will never admit he is wrong. To put it succinctly and crudely, it is because Trump is an asshole.

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Former Metro Councilman and Pastor Jerry Maynard Jr. Accused in 'Fraud Scheme' to Steal $200 Million from Drug Company

by Jennifer Kraus, WTVP News Channel 5, May 27, 2026 - A former Metro councilman and leader
of a large North Nashville church is accused of being part of a massive and ongoing "fraud scheme" to steal more than $200 million from a major drug manufacturer.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates has learned that Jerry Maynard Jr., along with his father, Jerry Maynard Sr., and sister, Misha Maynard, are among the defendants named in a federal civil lawsuit filed last week by drug company Eli Lilly.

They are accused of being part of an operation that bought "enormous quantities" of the diabetes drug, Trulicity, over at least the last five years, and then turned in hundreds of thousands of drug rebate claims for the drug, according to the lawsuit, for "fictional" patients, supposedly members of the Church of God In Christ, a Pentecostal denomination.

Maynard Jr., who once served as a Metro councilman at-large and has run a high-profile lobbying and business consulting firm, is the longtime Senior Pastor at the Cathedral of Praise, located off Clarksville Pike. According to its website, the church is part of the Church in God in Christ denomination.

Maynard's father serves as Bishop of the church. His sister Misha is the church's COO and pastor of operations. (read it all)

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Harwood Salon, The Revolutionary Nature of the Declaration of Independence with John Vile, May 28th

From Harwood Salon Nashville, May 15, 2026: 

We’re less than two weeks away from our upcoming Harwood Salon in Nashville on Thursday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Join us for an evening with John Vile, Professor of Political Science and Dean of the University Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University, as he explores the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence and their lasting influence on liberty, limited government, and the American founding.

Drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event is free to attend, but space is limited and registration is required.

We encourage you to reserve your seat soon.

REGISTER HERE

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Democratic Party 'Autopsy' of 2024 Election Fails to Address the Real Reason Dems Lost

Mark Rogers

 by Mark Rogers, Facebook, May 27, 2026- I have read several articles on the DNC's 'autopsy' of the 2024 elections and the most obvious conclusion from that document is that the authors (and a huge block within the Democratic Party) are delusional ideologues who are more interested in denying the real underlying reasons for their defeat so they can claim there is no reason to look at a less extremist agenda for the party. 

Consider these examples.

One insane conclusion is that the Biden insiders 'misused' Harris by placing her in charge of immigration issues, a 'border czarina,' so to speak. The autopsy cites this as not helpful to her without noting that that was a result of Biden's spineless (effectively) open borders policy, designed entirely to placate a minority of extreme left immigration advocates. 

While I am no fan of Ms. Harris for myriad reasons, it is grossly unfair to blame her for a policy that was, by 2022 (with two years to enact reforms), a looming disaster. Yet the autopsy cannot bring itself to blame the policy that gave Trump a major advantage and historic levels of Hispanic votes. Instead, it blames the choice on the Titanic's navigator instead of its captain. 

The second example of the unreality of the document is that it doesn't seem to be able to accept that a majority of Americans had turned against the Democrats on the economy. While there were many components to the high inflation that imposed so much pain on most Americans, one that cannot be ignored was Biden's reckless spending, that was predicted to do exactly what it was expected to do, fuel inflation. 

That 'Bidenflation' was heard and read across the fruited plains should have served as a stronger warning. But then, as Biden's handlers kept having him reenact Kevin Bacon's 'Remain calm. All is well" speech from 'Animal House,' the pain of voters attached itself to him and the party, showing them to be uninterested in the lives of the People. 

Two more observations.

The report fails to mention the war in Gaza and the impact of the violence and virulent anti-Semitism of many on the far left, especially the young. As voters made a connection between college aged people calling for the destruction of Israel and the same people getting Biden to forgive their student loans, that cannot have helped Democrats. 

And the report doesn't hold Biden's keepers responsible for their conspiracy to keep the voters from knowing how far Biden had declined. I can't say the Democrats lost the election when Biden went bye bye during the debate but it was a moment that not only damaged Biden's credibility but that of his team, including Harris. We will never know how many swing voters concluded that she knew how incompetent he had become and stayed quiet for her own interests. But it well may have been something that cost her such a close election.

Mark Rogers has long been active in Republican Party politics and is an astute observer of political trends and events and Republican politics.  He is well known as a successful Republican campaign manager and political consultant. He has also served in government and the non-profit sector. He is currently exiled from the Republican Party. He lives in Nashville.

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Scientist Ditch the Alarmist Doomsday Climate Change Predictions

by Rod Williams, May 26, 2026- I have almost always accepted the theory of global warming. When I first heard about it and had not read serious articles and books about it, I was skeptical and may have even derided it. However, that did not last long. As I became more informed, I came to accept the theory. Shortly after it came out in 2007, I read Al Gore's book, An Inconvenient Truth, and found it convincing. I followed up by reading other mainstream articles, listening to informed debate, and became more convinced. Then I read the United Nations' The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and was convinced with a greater degree of certainty. 

Despite accepting climate change as reality, I was always skeptical of the certainty with which many climate activists believed in a doomsday scenario. For one thing, I reasoned, while manmade CO2 emissions may be warming the earth, the climate is always changing. We do not know if we are entering or still receding from an ice age. Also, I reasoned, we have alternatives to fossil fuels that may become a greater share of the energy mix. Also, we will make advances in geoengineering, I reasoned.  In other words, there were too many other variables that one could not hold constant for me to be a climate change alarmist. I found it unconvincing that the predictions of climate change was going to kill us all.

It did not help that the most shrill voices warning of climate change were, well- were so shrill. Often, it seemed like their climate change hysteria almost had a religious component. It seemed they were the same crowd who wanted to blame all the world's ills on capitalism or colonialism or toxic masculinity or some such. Also, the most promising alternative to fossil fuels is nuclear energy and the same people who were the most shrill and alarmist about climate change were the ones most likely to chain themselves to the gates of the Clinch River nuclear reactor site and most likely to denounce nuclear energy. They vehemently rejected the most readily available remedy to the problem.  It seemed to me that they wanted the issue of climate change more than they wanted a solution. Climate change hysteria seemed like a lifestyle brand.  It was part of their identity as opponents of modernity and prosperity. Also, it does not help when the climate change activist equates climate change theory skeptics with Holocaust deniers, as some were prone to do.

So, while I accepted the theory of climate change, I was not an alarmist and the certainty with which I accepted the dire warnings of doom fluctuated.  You may recall the "hide the decline" scandal in which hackers released emails from climate scientists in which they spoke of "tricks" to manipulate data to make it conform to what they expected the data to show. This may not have been a scandal at all and simply a misinterpretation of scientific methodology. Nevertheless, for a while, my skepticism rose. 

Another source of my doomsday skepticism was reading False Alarm by bestselling author Bjorn Lomborg. He does not deny climate change is a reality but argues it's not the apocalyptic threat that we've been told it is. I recommend his book and becoming familiar with his arguments. In addition to people like Lomborg, there are other credentials people who are more measured in their concern about climate change than the apocalyptic doomsday climate alarmist. While the overwhelming majority of credentialed climate experts accept the theory of climate change, that does not mean they are all doomsday alarmists.  

A change is taking place in the climate change debate. Recently, an international team of climate researchers published a major revision of the emissions scenarios used to study global warming.  This is a big deal. The new paper has raised questions about whether some of the risks of climate change have been poorly communicated or overstated in years past and how best to think about those risks going forward. This in no way means climate change is nothing to worry about, or is a hoax, or is not real. it does mean one can look at the issue with more realistic clarity rather than "the end is near" hysteria.

The New York Times recently reported on this change. To read that article, see Scientists Ditched a Scary Climate Scenario. What Now? - The New York Times.

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Tennessee Smuggling Charges Against Kilmar Abrego Garcia Dismissed

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

by Kim Jarrett, The Center Square,  May 25, 2026 - A federal judge dismissed Tennessee charges against a man who, at one time, was at the center of the immigration debate.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia was charged with human smuggling in connection with a Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the police officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking that he was “hauling these people for money," according to a video obtained by The Center Square through an open records request.

U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw called the charges "vindictive" because Abrego Garcia challenged his deportation to El Salvador. 

"The objective evidence here shows that, absent Abrego’s successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the Government would not have brought this prosecution," Crenshaw wrote in his order. "The Executive Branch closed its investigation on the November 2022 traffic stop. Only after Abrego succeeded in vindicating his rights did the Executive Branch reopen that investigation."

The Trump administration mistakenly deported Abrego Garcia to El Salvador in March 2025 due to an administrative error, according to previous reporting from The Center Square. Prior to that, Abrego Garcia was living in Maryland and had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in MS-13 in 2019, after immigrating illegally to the United States as a teenager with his parents around 2011. Officials prepared to deport Abrego Garcia then, but an immigration judge granted him “withholding of removal,” believing his life would be in danger if he were returned to El Salvador. 

The Department of Justice did not immediately return a message from The Center Square about the case. 

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Tennessee Takes Over Memphis Schools

by Melissa Brown, May 22, 2026, This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters -  Gov. Bill Lee has signed legislation that will give political appointees sweeping authority over Memphis-Shelby County Schools.

The new law is an unprecedented effort to seize local control of Tennessee’s largest public school district through a nine-person oversight board appointed by the state’s top three Republicans, including the governor.

Lee announced his appointments shortly after signing the legislation, tapping five Shelby County residents, many of whom already sit on Tennessee governing boards.

The governor’s appointees include at least one member with intimate knowledge of the district’s inner workings: Dorsey Hopson, who served as Memphis superintendent from 2013 to early 2019.

The takeover effort now goes into effect just weeks after Memphis voters cast their ballots in the 2026 school board primary, an election for four contested board seats that now have significantly less power. And expected legal challenges to the takeover will also collide with another Republican supermajority effort to seize Tennessee’s last Democratic congressional district through a controversial redistricting measure that now significantly dilutes Memphians’ voting power.

The takeover oversight board has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the district’s academic challenges. Republican supporters of the takeover have argued that progress is unacceptably stagnant after years of academic underperformance in the district that serves more than 100,000 students.

Last year, more than 75% of Memphis students failed to achieve proficiency in reading and math based on state standardized tests. However, Memphis schools earned the highest possible score in academic growth, or student improvement on state tests, for the fourth year in a row.

Opponents of the takeover have pointed to systemic socioeconomic issues in Shelby County as an inextricable factor in MSCS academic performance. Democrats have also argued the district has been harmed by the whiplash of state-imposed policies over the years, such as the failed Achievement School District, a previous state takeover of Memphis’ lowest performing schools.

The new oversight board will have nearly unlimited power to dive into district records, from teacher evaluations to curriculum reviews. It also will control the district’s largest financial decisions, the operating budget, and superintendent’s contract. Its power even extends to the Shelby County Commission, which will be blocked from approving the MSCS annual budget until the oversight board gives its approval.

The effective takeover of the district comes amid increasing tensions between Tennessee Republicans, a majority-white party with supermajority power in the state, and local leaders in Memphis, a longtime Democratic stronghold with a majority-Black population. Last year, Republicans imposed a state and federal law enforcement surge because of immigration and crime concerns, and GOP lawmakers in May rushed to split the county’s congressional district to better favor Republican candidates.

Rod's Comment: 
It is unfortunate that this occurs at the same time as the redistricting. I can understand why some Memphians might feel picked on. However, Memphis has been failing its citizens for a long time. The State has a responsibility for the education of Tennessee's children. I think the takeover is appropriate. 

Gov. Lee Announces Appointments to Educational Oversight Board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools

Office of the Governor, May 22, 2026 - Today, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed SB714 and announced appointees to the educational oversight board for Memphis-Shelby County Schools following official notice from the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) that the district meets the criteria established by the General Assembly for the creation of an educational oversight board.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and throughout the Lee Administration, we’ve made significant investments to ensure students in Shelby County receive a quality education that best fits their unique needs,” said Gov. Lee. “I’m pleased to appoint these highly qualified individuals, and I’m grateful for their willingness to serve Memphis families and help strengthen outcomes for students across the community.”

The following Memphians have been appointed:

• ·       Tyrone Burroughs, Chairman, First Choice Global and Founder, The Burroughs Foundation
• ·       Dorsey Hopson, Partner, City Fund
• ·       Shanea McKinney, Senior Advisor of Product Management, The Cigna Group
• ·       Nisha Powers, Founder and President, Powers Hill Design
• ·       Beverly Robertson, Co-Founder and COO, Trust Marketing and Communications

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Perry County pays $835k to settle lawsuit after sheriff jailed man for 37 days over Trump meme

Larry Bushart and his wife. (Photo: LadyJay Creations LLC and FIRE)

by Adam Friedman, Tennessee Lookout, May 23, 2026-  A Perry County man, who was wrongly
detained for 37 days for posting a meme following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has settled the case for $835,000.

Larry Bushart was arrested by a Perry County Sheriff’s Office in September for posting a Facebook meme in a thread about a vigil honoring Kirk after he was shot and killed. 

Bushart’s meme included the quote “seems relevant today” and a picture of President Donald Trump, quoted as saying, “We have to get over it.” Under the quote, it said “President Donald Trump, one day after the Perry High School mass shooting.”

The meme is a reference to a 2024 school shooting in Iowa, not the Perry County High School in Tennessee. 

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Bushart, claiming the meme “threatening a mass shooting” at the local school, and had his bond set at $2 million, an amount he could not afford. 

Prosecutors dropped the charges against Bushart five weeks later after the news of the incident had been picked up nationally, and Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems admitted to NewsChannel 5 that he knew the meme referenced the Iowa shooting, even if the public didn’t.

The First Amendment rights organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, FIRE, represented Bushart in his lawsuit against Weems and the county.

“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,” said Adam Steinbaugh, an attorney with FIRE, in a news release. “Local law enforcement never should have forced him to endure this ordeal in the first place.”

Kirk’s death sparked a wide range of emotions. Communities around the country honored Kirk in for his conservative activism. But he was also known for his fierce defense of the Second Amendment and gun rights. Kirk in 2023 said “some gun deaths” were worth the cost to “protect our other God-given rights.”

His killing also led to a crackdown on speech. Leaders with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission tried to get late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s show canceled after he criticized Kirk after the killing.

In Tennessee, FIRE also represented an Austin Peay State University professor who was initially fired for posts quoting Kirk. The organization helped him get reinstated and a $500,000 settlement. 

FIRE is also currently representing a former employee of a state commerce and insurance department who was fired for posts criticizing Kirk. 

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Immune From Trump Retribution, Republicans May Now be Willing to Defy Trump.

by Rod Williams, May 22, 2026 - Finally! To put it crudely, it looks like Republicans are growing a pair. It is too early to know if it will stick, but Republicans seem ready to defy Trump. Ever since the start of Trump's second term, Republicans have rolled over and played dead. They have acted like puppy dogs yearning for that pat on the head. They have accepted massive corruption and trampling of the Constitution and policies that were anathema to long-held Republican values. It looks like establishing a $1.8 billion slush fund to reward violent January 6th insurrectionists and other Trump allies who will break the law on his behalf is a bridge too far. 

Trump just showed his power and his continued iron grip on the party on Tuesday, when senators Cassidy and Massie, two incumbent Republican senators who had dared cross Trump, were denied their party's nomination. Also on Tuesday, Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn who had also proved insufficiently subservient to Trump.  Earlier in May, five of seven Republican state senators in Indiana who had opposed President Trump’s redistricting plan for that state were defeated by Trump-backed challengers. The message was clear: Cross Trump and he will crush you. 

So, Trump proved he can crush those who dare vote against him or question him. However, there are seven months left before these defeated senators leave office, and now they have nothing to lose. They are free to do the right thing. Maybe freedom is another word for nothing left to lose.  If a Senator wants to vote contrary to Trump's wishes or ask hard questions in committee, Trump is powerless to punish them. The filing deadline has passed for primary challengers to run against the incumbent. 

With Cassidy, and Massie, and more likely than not Cornyn, occupying their seat for seven more months after Trump defeated them in their primary, they are not going to be inclined to be too compliant with Trump's desires.   In addition to Cassidy, Massie, and probably Cornyn, who have nothing left to lose and with no love lost for Trump, you have Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Rand Paul, R-KY, who are always of questionable blind loyalty to Trump.

With Trump a lame duck, aggrieved senators in office, and other senators now immune to Trump retribution, maybe the Senate will now do the right thing. Maybe we have turned a corner. 

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Larry Bushart Jailed for Anit-Trump Tweet Wins $835K Settlement

Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), May 21, 2026 - Larry Bushart is a retired law enforcement officer and National Guardsman who believes, like many Americans, that free speech includes the right to react to the news — even when the moment is tense or controversial.

In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s murder, Larry posted a meme on Facebook responding to the event. He did not commit violence. He did not threaten anyone. All he did was post an image of President Trump’s remark about a school shooting with the caption: “This seems relevant today.” 

But local authorities didn’t like what he said, so they arrested him.

Larry spent 37 days in jail on a $2 million bond for speech protected by the First Amendment. That’s the kind of treatment usually reserved for accused murderers and violent criminals. He lost his post-retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary, and the birth of his grandchild. In the United States, this should be unthinkable.

That’s why FIRE represented Larry in a lawsuit against the government for violating his constitutional rights and secured an $835K settlement on his behalf. 

For more than two decades, FIRE has defended Americans whose free speech rights were violated by those in power. From students and professors to journalists, parents, and everyday citizens, we step in when government officials abuse their authority to silence speech.

Larry Bushart

What happened to Larry isn’t just an attack on one person — it’s a warning about what happens when government power goes unchecked, and a preview of our future if we don’t stand up to defend everyone’s freedom of speech.

Stand for free speech. Stand with Larry.

Join the fight to ensure no one else is jailed for exercising their rights.

Rod's Comment

The above article doesn't mention it, but Larry Bushart is a Tennessee man. He was arrested in September 2025 by Lexington, Tennessee, police and jailed in Perry County.

What happened to Larry Bushart is an outrage. As we watch President Trump advance his authoritarian agenda, we can expect more of this. I know the pro-democracy side in this conflict with Trump authoritarianism often feels disheartened. The establishment of a $1.77 billion slush fund to reward those who commit violence or other crimes on Trump's behalf will embolden Trumpinista radicals. The defeat of the last vestige of traditional Republicanism in recent Republican primaries is depressing, and we can feel like authoritarianism is inevitable and there is no point in resisting. Especially for us conservatives and Republican exiles, the future of our nation looks bleak. It can often appear that the only choice is between Trumpian authoritarianism and corruption or progressive democratic socialism.  It can feel like we might as well withdraw from civic life and focus on hobbies, family, and entertainment. 

We shouldn't despair. There are victories, like this one. We can't afford to withdraw and give up. Too much is at stake. How much common cause we can make with the left can be a difficult decision. I have no illusion that many in the anti-Trump coalition are any more committed to the values I hold dear than are the Trumpinistas. Yet, there are things we can do. One is to support sane democrats if you can find them and traditional Republicans who have not sold their soul to Donald Trump, if can find them.  Another is to support real journalism so the truth of what is happening does not get buried by Trump media and Trump-adjacent media. Another is to support organizations like FIRE. They are fighting for free speech wherever it is threatened and are one of the organizations I support with my charitable giving. 

To donate to FIRE, follow this link. 

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