James Comey Indicted for Alleged Social Media Threat to Trump

" Officials interpreted "86" as slang for "get rid of" or "kill," combined with "47" referring to Trump as the 47th president. The indictment was announced on April 28, 2026, and stems from a post Comey made and later deleted. Comey was interviewed by the Secret Service in May after Trump administration officials raised concerns that the post advocated assassination.

He removed the post shortly after, explaining that he did not realize the numbers were associated with violence and that he opposes violence of any kind.

Blanche stated that the case against Comey is similar to other Department of Justice prosecutions for threats against public officials. For instance, a Florida man, Diego Villavicencio, pleaded guilty to multiple felonies after posting threats including "I'll kill you and your family" directed at Trump and others, and mentioning heading to Mar-a-Lago to do harm.

Another case involved Michael James Ferr in North Carolina, who was sentenced to 27 months in prison for threatening to kill then-President Joe Biden and his children, and later threatening a Secret Service agent. " In Massachusetts, a 45-year-old man was arrested for posting threats on Facebook, including "I'll make sure you're at Mar-a-Lago when I burn it to the f------ ground," and was charged with interstate transmission of threatening communications.

He pleaded not guilty and brandished a sword during his arrest. " In Pennsylvania, a man pleaded guilty to threatening to murder government officials, including Trump, with posts like "Nah, we just need to start killing people," after obtaining a firearms permit.

A review of these cases suggests that Comey's indictment differs in some aspects, as it centers on a single social media post without explicit violent language, unlike the more direct threats in the compared prosecutions.

This is the second criminal case against Comey by the Justice Department. He was previously indicted in September on charges of lying to and obstructing Congress related to 2020 testimony about authorizing information to a journalist, but that case was dismissed after a judge ruled the prosecutor was illegally appointed.

Bush before being fired by Trump in May 2017 amid an investigation into potential ties between Russia and Trump's 2016 campaign. The relationship between Comey and Trump was strained from the start, including an incident where Comey documented a request for personal loyalty.

The current indictment may lead to defense claims of targeted prosecution, especially as the Justice Department is also investigating former CIA Director John Brennan related to the Russia probe.

Comey denied any intent to threaten, and his lawyer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The charge involves interstate transmission of threatening communications, similar to several recent cases. Blanche emphasized that the department will not tolerate such conduct and will prosecute it regularly, regardless of the defendant's prominence.

“While this case is unique and this indictment stands out because of the name of the defendant, his alleged conduct at the same kind of conduct that we will never tolerate and that we will always investigate and regularly prosecute.”

The case has drawn attention due to Comey's high profile and history with Trump, with some noting it as part of broader scrutiny of Trump critics by the Justice Department. Merriam-Webster defines "86" as slang for "to throw out" or "to get rid of," with a recent extension to "to kill," though it notes the killing sense is relatively new and sparse in use.