Trump DOJ Indicts Former FBI Director James Comey Over Instagram Seashell Photo Allegedly Threatening President

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two counts of threatening President Trump, stemming from a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to read '86 47' (slang for eliminating the 47th president). The charges allege violations of 18 U.S.C. § 871 for knowingly making threats to harm the President. This marks the second indictment of Comey by Trump's Justice Department, part of what critics describe as a systematic prosecution of political opponents. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced the charges, emphasizing accountability for threats against the President. Legal experts have questioned whether the seashell arrangement constitutes a credible threat under federal law, with many characterizing the prosecution as politically motivated retaliation. Civil liberties organizations have raised concerns about the chilling effect on free speech and the weaponization of the ju...

"A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina today returned an indictment charging former FBI director James Comey with making threats to harm President Donald J. Trump." — Department of Justice press release announcing the indictment, delivered by Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel