Former FBI Director James Comey responded to the new indictment from the Department of Justice, alleging that he threatened President Trump in a social media post.
The two-count indictment against Comey stemmed from a social media post in 2025 featuring an arranged set of seashells on a North Carolina beach that said “86 47” – 86 possibly meaning “eliminate” and 47 potentially means President Trump. While the phrase “86” does not inherently mean violence – it allegedly originated as a restaurant term – people immediately criticized the post for tangentially implying violence, and Comey deleted the post as a result.
The indictment against Comey was delivered by a grand jury, which also issued a warrant for his arrest.
Comey “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,” according to the indictment filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
In a video released on Tuesday, Comey said he is “still innocent” and “not afraid.”
“Well, they’re back. This time about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won’t be the end of it, but nothing has changed with me,” Comey said in a video posted to his Substack. “I’m still innocent. I’m still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”
“So let’s go,” he continued. “But it’s really important that all of us remember this is not who we are as a country. This is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be, and the good news is, we get closer every day to restoring those values. Keep the faith.”
