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The chair of the Hernando County, Florida Democratic Party was arrested for allegedly hitting a man in the head with a megaphone during a “No Kings” protest over the weekend.
Brian Stewart, 63, was charged with simple assault and booked into the Hernando County Jail after Saturday’s incident. He was released that same day, jail records show.
Officers responded around 10:30 a.m. to the intersection of Mariner and Cortez boulevards, where Stewart allegedly struck a disabled veteran, identified as Thomas Michta in police reports, in the head with a bullhorn. The incident occurred as demonstrators in Hernando County and across the country protested the Trump administration’s policies, according to WTSP.
Michta told officers he was walking during the protest when he and Stewart got into an argument, the outlet reported.
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Hernando County Democratic Chairman Brian Stewart was arrested at a “No Kings” protest. (Hernando County Jail)
The man accused Stewart of hitting him during the dispute and reported feeling pain, with a visible lump on his head, according to an arrest affidavit, WTSP reported.
Officers spoke with a witness who said he observed a fight during the protest.
According to the affidavit, video captured by the witness and reviewed by officers showed Stewart using a bullhorn to hit the man in the head and push him in the chest.
After reviewing the video, the witness statement and Stewart’s own confessions, officers said they developed probable cause to believe that Stewart intentionally hit the man and caused him bodily harm, the affidavit says.
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Protesters hold signs and flags near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort during the national “No Kings” day of protest, in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 28, 2026. (Giorgio VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
Stewart is scheduled to appear in court on April 27.
The Florida Republican Party called for Stewart to be removed as chairman over the protest incident.
“Political violence and intimidation have no place in our state, and Floridians deserve better than simple silence from Democratic leaders. Nikki Fried must immediately remove Brian Stewart from his leadership position in the Florida Democratic Party!” Florida Republican Party Chairman Evan Power said in a statement to WTSP.
The Florida Democratic Party and Hernando County chapter said in separate statements that they “condemn the violence.”
Protesters hold signs near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort during the “No Kings” protest, in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 28, 2026. (Giorgio VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)
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“We have been informed that our chairman, Brian Stewart, was arrested after responding to a provocation from a local agitator who threw a drink at him and shouted obscenities at community members during a protest,” the Hernando County Democratic Party said in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Hernando County Democratic Party for additional comment.