Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted after a beach photo he posted — showing seashells arranged as “8647” — was seized on by Donald Trump and his allies as a supposed threat.
The indictment, pursued by Justice Department attorneys in North Carolina, stems from a May 2025 Instagram post that quickly drew backlash from Trump-world figures. The Department of Homeland Security even launched an investigation, and Comey was questioned by the Secret Service.
As noted by NBC News, Comey ultimately deleted the post, saying the interpretation never crossed his mind.
“Eighty-six” is commonly used in restaurants to mean an item is sold out, and more broadly can mean to cancel or get rid of something — not a call to violence, he explained.
In a follow-up post at the time, Comey said he assumed the shells were meant as a “political message,” adding that he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” and emphasizing that he opposes violence “of any kind.”
But that didn’t stop a wave of outrage from Trump allies.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem touted that Comey had been interviewed by federal agents, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard went further, saying Comey should be “put behind bars.”
The White House has declined to comment directly, referring questions to the Justice Department.
The case marks the latest chapter in a yearslong feud between Trump and Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017 — a move that ultimately triggered the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election.
It’s also not the first time the Trump administration has pursued charges against Comey.
A previous case accusing him of lying to Congress collapsed after a judge ruled the prosecutor — a Trump-linked appointee — had been unlawfully installed. That same ruling also derailed a separate case against New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Still, prosecutors face a relatively low bar when securing indictments from a grand jury — far lower than the burden required to win a conviction at trial.
Trump, for his part, has repeatedly called for legal action against Comey, a longtime Republican-turned-critic who has remained a frequent target of the president’s attacks.
Now, a social media post about seashells has escalated into yet another legal battle — one critics say underscores how far the political and legal fights have spiraled.
