James Comey is back in the headlines again, and not for selling books or offering sanctimonious lectures about ethics. The Justice Department announced Tuesday that the former FBI director has been indicted for the second time in a year, this time over a social media post many Americans saw as a veiled threat aimed at President Trump.
The case centers on an Instagram photo Comey shared while vacationing on a North Carolina beach. In the image, seashells were arranged in the sand to display the numbers “86 47.” His caption read, “cool shell formation on my beach walk.” That might sound harmless to the media class that still treats Comey like a wise elder statesman, but plenty of ordinary citizens understood exactly why the post sparked outrage.
“86” is commonly used slang meaning to remove, get rid of, or eliminate something. “47” is widely recognized as referring to President Trump’s status as the 47th president. Put the two together, and it is no mystery why administration officials viewed the post as serious enough to investigate.
Comey quickly deleted the image after backlash exploded online. He then claimed ignorance, writing that he “assumed” it was a political message but did not realize some people associate those numbers with violence. He added that it “never occurred” to him and said he opposes violence of any kind.
That explanation raised eyebrows for obvious reasons. This is not some random retiree posting beach photos. This is a former FBI director, a man who spent years at the highest levels of federal law enforcement, intelligence briefings, and threat assessments. The idea that James Comey accidentally stumbled into controversial coded language and had no clue what it meant asks the public to suspend common sense.
Then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at the time that DHS and the Secret Service were investigating the threat and would respond appropriately. Apparently, they meant it.
This marks the second federal indictment against Comey during the current administration. In September 2025, he was indicted on charges tied to allegedly false statements to Congress and obstruction related to prior Senate testimony involving FBI leaks and the Russia collusion saga. Those charges were later dismissed on procedural grounds involving the appointment of the prosecutor, not because Comey was declared innocent of everything under the sun, despite predictable media spin.
The dismissal was without prejudice, meaning prosecutors retained the option to bring the matter again through proper channels.
For years, Comey cultivated an image as the upright guardian of institutions while critics argued he embodied the worst habits of Washington bureaucracy, selective accountability, endless self-regard, and rules that seemed to apply only to other people. Now he faces another indictment, and the irony is hard to miss.
The man who once oversaw investigations is now repeatedly the subject of them. Washington scriptwriters could not have done better.
This whole thing boils down to this, they’ve got to be able to prove that what he did was with malicious intent and that it meant something more severe than what it could be taken as if taken in a less serious note. So while I’d like for Comey to be found guilty, this indictment too seems like it’s just another grand waste of time and money.