Los Altos Vice Mayor Updates Facebook Photo to '86 47' Seashells

Los Altos Vice Mayor Larry Lang updated his Facebook cover photo this week to an image of seashells arranged to form '86 47,' the same formation that resulted in former FBI Director James Comey's indictment last month. Lang also commented '86 47' on a Facebook post by the California Republican Party earlier this week, which featured a news segment on the state's gubernatorial debate.

California GOP Chairperson Corrin Rankin stated Friday on X that the post represented an unacceptable death threat directed at President Donald Trump.

' after uncovering Lang's posts. Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche said Democrats 'must immediately dial back their unhinged rhetoric' to avoid encouraging supporters who might wish to kill the president, referencing the suspect in the recent White House Correspondents Dinner shooting stopped by the Secret Service.

Lang's email returned an automatic response indicating he was traveling until May 4.

His Facebook cover photo was changed on Friday, and the posts have since been deleted. Lang serves as vice mayor of the Los Altos City Council and sits on over half-a-dozen regional boards of directors. The California Republican Party post Lang commented on included a segment where Rankin argued that Democrats in California 'have no solutions' and that Californians are ready for new leadership after 16 years of Democratic Party rule in the state.

The '86 47' phrase stems from Comey's May 2025 Instagram post of seashells arranged similarly, which prosecutors interpret as a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Prosecutors state that '86' can mean 'get rid of' or 'eliminate,' as in restaurant slang, and argue '86 47' refers to eliminating Trump.

Comey removed the post the same day it was uploaded and claimed he had misinterpreted the shells as a general political message, viewing it as political rather than threatening.

He maintained his innocence in court on Wednesday. A federal grand jury in North Carolina charged Comey with two counts: making threats to harm the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. If convicted, Comey faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.

He added, 'It's nuts, like you're going after someone for something that's just silly. He argued that '86' commonly means firing or removing someone rather than harming them, and noted Comey was not actively serving as FBI director when the photo was posted. Rogan endorsed Trump in the 2024 election.

They say 86 him! ' James Comey, who is a Dirty Cop, one of the worst, knows this full well! EIGHT MILES OUT, SIX FEET DOWN! Didn’t he also lie to the FBI about this??? I think so! President DJT' This marks Comey's second indictment by the Justice Department.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia Lindsey Halligan. That case was dismissed after a ruling found Halligan had remained in her position beyond the legal limit of her term.

In slang, often used in certain industries and various cultures, '86' typically means to get rid of something. Donald Trump is currently the 47th President of the United States.