US4 min(s) read
Published 16:08 29 Apr 2026 GMT
Former FBI Director James Comey, a longtime critic of Donald Trump, has been indicted for a second time, following a social media post.
Despite being from almost a year ago, the picture has ruffled the feathers of those in the Trump administration.
The photo in question features some seashells that were arranged into a series of numbers, which has offended the President enough that he feels the lawyer should be indicted.
President Trump specifically called for the former FBI Director to be criminally charged in September 2025.
Comey had served in that role during the first Trump administration, before he was fired in 2017.
The indictment was first reported by CNN and The New York Times, with the concern revolving around the May 2025 post, which has since been deleted.
Comey posted a photo of some seashells back in May 2025, with the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
They had been arranged into the numbers '8647' on the sandy beach, but members of the Trump administration were not fans.
It caused outrage, with then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stating at the time that DHS and Secret Service would investigate and “respond appropriately.”
She claimed that it was a call "for the assassination" of Trump, as Comey would be taken in and interviewed for hours in Washington DC.
This was highly uncommon, especially for a non-specific threat, as he told investigators that he spotted the shells on a beach in North Carolina.
Questions have been raised about the outrage that came as a result of the number, and why some may feel like things have been taken too far.
Comey's post was thought by many to read “86” No. 47, with Trump being the 47th President of the US.
And according to Merriam-Webster, “86” is used as a colloquial term meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of,” or “to refuse service to.”
The term's origin isn't fully known, with some believing that it came from when barkeeps kicked out disorderly guests at Chundley's bar in New York.
According to others, it came from the time of the Prohibition, when police would call for bartenders to "86" their customers out of the door, located on 86 Bedford St, so they wouldn't need to be arrested.
But Merriam-Webster claims that it came from 1930s soda counter slang, which meant that an item was sold out, so it may have originated from the term "nix."
This is still used by wait staff working in hospitality.
Comey claimed that he did not know what the numbers of the image actually meant, though Trump and his officials say the post was a threat against his life.
Speaking about the charges on Tuesday (April 28), he stated: "I'm still innocent, I'm still not afraid, and I still believe in the independent federal judiciary."
"Well, they're back. This time about a picture of sea shells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won't be the end of it, but nothing has changed with me," he added.
FBI Director Kash Patel spoke during a press conference to announce the indictment, explaining: "James Comey disgracefully encouraged a threat on President Trump's life and posted it on Instagram for the world to see."
Comey is now facing charges of making a threat against the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
The former direct was indicted by a federal grand jury in September after he was charged with lying to Congress during testimony in September 2020.
Comey pleaded not guilty in October, with the case being dismissed in November.
