Former FBI Director James Comey responded to the brand new indictment from the Division of Justice, alleging that he threatened President Trump in a social media put up.
The 2-count indictment towards Comey stemmed from a social media put up in 2025 that includes an organized set of seashells on a North Carolina seaside that mentioned “86 47” – 86 presumably which means “get rid of” and 47 doubtlessly means President Trump. Whereas the phrase “86” doesn’t inherently imply violence – it allegedly originated as a restaurant time period – individuals instantly criticized the put up for tangentially implying violence, and Comey deleted the put up because of this.
The indictment towards Comey was delivered by a grand jury, which additionally issued a warrant for his arrest.
Comey “did knowingly and willfully make a risk to take the lifetime of, and to inflict bodily hurt upon, the President of the US, in that he publicly posted {a photograph} on the web social media web site Instagram which depicted seashells organized in a sample making out ’86 47,’ which an affordable recipient who’s conversant in the circumstances would interpret as a critical expression of an intent to do hurt to the President of the US,” in response to the indictment filed within the U.S. District Court docket for the Jap District of North Carolina.
In a video launched on Tuesday, Comey mentioned he’s “nonetheless harmless” and “not afraid.”
“Nicely, they’re again. This time a few image of seashells on a North Carolina seaside a yr in the past. And this received’t be the top of it, however nothing has modified with me,” Comey mentioned in a video posted to his Substack. “I’m nonetheless harmless. I’m nonetheless not afraid. And I nonetheless consider within the unbiased federal judiciary.”
“So let’s go,” he continued. “But it surely’s actually vital that every one of us bear in mind this isn’t who we’re as a rustic. This isn’t how the Division of Justice is meant to be, and the excellent news is, we get nearer on daily basis to restoring these values. Hold the religion.”
