Former FBI Director James Comey has surrendered to authorities and appeared briefly in court after being indicted over a social media post that US prosecutors say amounted to a threat against President Donald Trump, according to The Guardian and the BBC.
The indictment, filed in North Carolina, centers on a 2025 Instagram post in which Comey shared a photo of seashells arranged to read “86 47”, a reference prosecutors argue was directed at Trump, the 47th US president.
The Justice Department claims the message could be interpreted as a “serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”
How did James Comey respond?
In response to the controversy, Comey has denied any wrongdoing.
He said he did not understand the numbers to be threatening and believed the post was a political message rather than a call for violence. After backlash, he deleted the image and clarified: “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” according to BBC.
In a video posted on his Substack, Comey said: “I am still innocent. I am still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary.”
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Meaning of ’86 47′
Prosecutors argue that “86” is slang meaning to remove or eliminate someone, while “47” refers to Trump’s position as the 47th president. They claim the combination could reasonably be interpreted as a threat.
Comey’s defense disputes this interpretation, saying the post was taken down as soon as concerns about violence were raised and that there was no intent to threaten.
Court appearance
During his brief court appearance, Comey did not enter a plea. His lawyer, Patrick Fitzgerald, said they would seek dismissal of the case, arguing “selective and vindictive prosecution,” according to BBC.
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The defense also points out that Comey has long been a political target of Trump, dating back to his role in the Russia investigation during Trump’s first term.
Trump reacted sharply to the case, calling Comey a “crooked man” and saying the term “86” is commonly understood as violent slang. When asked if he believed the post was a threat, Trump responded, “Probably.”