New indictment accuses James Comey of threatening Trump with “86 47” Instagram post
Federal prosecutors allege former FBI Director James Comey threatened President Donald Trump in a May 2025 Instagram post, according to newly detailed charging documents tied to his latest indictment.
In the filing, authorities say Comey “knowingly and willfully” made the threat by posting an image of seashells arranged to form “86 47,” which prosecutors argue would be interpreted by a reasonable person as a serious expression of intent to cause harm.
“On or about May 15, 2025, in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the defendant, JAMES BRIEN COMEY JR, did knowingly and willfully make a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, the President of the United States, in that he publicly posted a photograph on the internet social media site Instagram which depicted seashells arranged in a pattern making out ‘86 47,’ which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States,” count one reads.
The charge, brought in the Eastern District of North Carolina, alleges the post amounted to a direct threat to take the life of or inflict bodily harm on Trump, in violation of federal law governing threats against the president.
A second count accuses Comey of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce, again citing the Instagram post and its interpretation as a threat directed at Trump, the 47th president.
Comey previously described the image as a “cool shell formation” from a beach walk, but investigators argue the context and phrasing carry a widely understood meaning that elevates the post to a criminal threat under federal statutes.
