James Comey Indicted Over Instagram Post Allegedly Threatening President Trump
Former FBI Director James Comey faces indictment for an Instagram post featuring seashells arranged as '86 47,' interpreted by some as a threat against President Trump.
Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by a federal grand jury in North Carolina over an Instagram post from May 2025. The post featured a photograph of seashells arranged to display the numbers "86 47," which some interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump, the 47th president of the United States. The number "86" is sometimes used as slang for "to get rid of" or "to kill." Comey captioned the image: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk."
After the post drew criticism, Comey deleted it and stated he was unaware of any violent connotations associated with the numbers. He emphasized his opposition to violence of any kind. The indictment charges Comey with making a threat against the president and transmitting that threat across state lines via social media. Both counts carry potential fines and prison sentences of up to five years.
This is the second indictment against Comey; a previous case was dismissed by a judge last year. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche commented that threats against the president are taken seriously. Comey has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and a trial date has been set for July 15.