- James Comey, a critic of Donald Trump, has been indicted for a social media photo of seashells spelling '86 47', which the Department of Justice claims amounts to 'making threats to harm' the president.
- The photo, posted in May 2025, features '86', a slang term for getting rid of something, and '47', presumed to reference Trump, who is the 47th president of the U.S.
- Comey responded to the indictment by warning of Trump’s 'bottomless desire' for revenge against critics, stating he will continue to speak out despite the 'cost' and maintaining his innocence while expressing faith in the independent federal judiciary.
- This marks the second indictment against Comey, following charges last September for making a false statement and obstruction, which were later dismissed by a federal judge due to the illegal appointment of the prosecuting attorney, Lindsey Halligan.
- The Department of Justice has also pursued cases against other Trump critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and John Bolton, prompting Barack Obama to criticise the administration for prosecuting perceived political enemies, though Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche denies these actions are retaliatory.
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