James Comey indicted for social media post threatening Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted this week over a social media post featuring a seashell formation that the Justice Department claims constituted a threat to President Trump's life. A grand jury returned an indictment stating that 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" when he posted a picture of seashells arranged to form the numbers "8647" in May 2025. The term "eighty-six" is commonly interpreted as meaning "get rid of," while Trump is the 47th president.

Comey responded to the indictment in a Substack video, asserting, "I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary, so let's go." The indictment carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. Comey has been a vocal critic of Trump since his dismissal in 2017 during an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He previously stated that he viewed the shell formation as a political message and removed the post after backlash.

The Trump administration has aggressively pursued cases against perceived political adversaries, with this indictment following a recent incident where a gunman breached a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. At a press conference, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized that the Justice Department takes all threats seriously, despite questions about proving Comey's intent given his apology and removal of the post.

The "8647" slogan has circulated as an anti-Trump message, with merchandise available online. The term has gained political significance, previously used in contexts that some interpret as violent. Blanche declined to comment on whether other similar cases are forthcoming, stating that each case is unique and will be investigated accordingly.