President Donald Trump lashed out at former FBI Director James Comey following his arrest, claiming a deleted Instagram post featuring seashells arranged as “86 47” was a coded assassination threat.
Trump’s Full Truth Social Post
“‘86’ is a mob term for ‘kill him.’ They say 86 him! 86 47 means ‘kill President Trump.’ James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn’t he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so! President DJT.”
Comey’s Arrest and Charges
Comey self-surrendered to federal authorities on Wednesday in Virginia and was briefly arrested before making an initial court appearance. He faces two felony counts: making a threat against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The charges stem from a May 2025 Instagram post in which Comey shared a photo of seashells on a North Carolina beach arranged to spell out “86 47”. The original caption read something to the effect of “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Comey quickly deleted the post.
Comey has maintained he intended the image as a political message and did not mean to suggest violence. He stated he opposes violence of any kind and removed the post after learning some interpreted it as threatening.
Context of “86 47”
- “47” refers to Trump as the 47th president.“86” is common slang meaning “get rid of,” “remove,” or “cancel” (originating in restaurant use). Trump and his supporters interpret it here as a mob-style call to kill him.
- This is the second indictment against Comey under the current Trump administration. A previous case was dismissed. Comey appeared in court Wednesday and was released without conditions. The case remains ongoing.
