Nate Silvester, Fired TikTok Cop, Says He Is 'Latest Target of Cancel Culture'

Nate Silvester, the former Idaho deputy marshal who was fired following a controversial TikTok video, said he is the "latest victim of cancel culture" during a Fox News appearance on Thursday.

Silvester is known for a widely-viewed TikTok video in which he mocked LeBron James following the basketball star's now-deleted tweet on the shooting of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant. In the video, the cop pretends to call James to inquire on his course of action as he witnessed a feigned knife attack involving a Black perpetrator towards a Black victim.

Following the video's popularity, Silvester was publicly reprimanded and suspended by the Bellevue Marshal's office. On Thursday, Bellevue Mayor Ned Burns announced Silvester's termination after the deputy had "violated several clearly established City of Bellevue and State of Idaho Policing policies" while on shift.

While the mayor did not specify the nature of the violations in question, he said Silvester was not fired "for the content of his speech," but "his failure to follow clearly laid out and well-established policy."

During Silvester's Fox News appearance, host Sean Hannity said Bellevue officials appeared "afraid that you're about to hire a lawyer and sue their asses off."

"Well, I'd like to think so," Silvester responded. "I'm the latest target of cancel culture, Sean, that's all it is."

"None of my other videos that depicted me in my uniform or that involved body camera footage—none of those mattered, they didn't care about those," he continued. "They knew they existed, but they didn't matter."

"It wasn't until my LeBron James TikTok surfaced and struck a political nerve that they started to pay attention and complain about it and come up with forms of discipline."

Hannity said Silvester's video was "funny," unlike James "putting out what looked like a bounty, almost" on the head of Nicholas Reardon, the white police officer who shot Bryant in Columbus, Ohio on April 20. Bodycam footage of the incident appeared to show the teenager attacking another Black girl with a knife before she was killed by police.

James had previously shared a photo of Reardon with the caption "YOU'RE NEXT #ACCOUNTABILITY" and an hourglass emoji. The NBA legend faced much backlash for his tweet, which he has now removed.

During the segment, Hannity pressed Silvester to pursue legal action over his termination.

"Two quick questions, Nate: one, when are you going to sue?" Hannity asked. "And two, I know—cause we interviewed governors from around the country—they're looking for officers like you and they support their police officers, like South Dakota and Florida and elsewhere."

"Do you want to stay in law enforcement? I think you actually have a future in comedy to be honest, you're pretty funny. Will you sue?"

Silvester said this was "stuff I'm still trying to wrap my head around at this point," to which Hannity interjected: "Let me help you out: I would sue them. My two cents."

Silvester responded he had a meeting with his attorney that evening.

When asked again whether he would consider moving to a state that "supports their police officers," Silvester said he has.

"I've gotten several officers from different leaders and agencies and elected officials, even, from all over the country, so that's not something that's off the table," Silvester said.

The former deputy marshal has garnered much support and prominence following the professional fallout triggered by his TikTok post, from a now-suspended lucrative fundraiser to a book deal.