Comey Surrenders on Trump Threat Charges

Former FBI Director James Comey surrendered to authorities Wednesday and made his initial court appearance in federal court in Alexandria, Virginia, following a federal grand jury indictment in the Eastern District of North Carolina on charges of threatening President Donald Trump and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce.

The charges, unsealed Tuesday, stem from an Instagram post Comey shared in May 2025 featuring seashells arranged on a North Carolina beach to form the numbers "86 47," captioned "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." Prosecutors allege the post constituted a knowing and willful threat against Trump, the nation's 47th president, with "86" interpreted as slang for "get rid of" or, in some contexts, to kill. Each count carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Comey deleted the post shortly after sharing it amid public backlash and stated he had assumed it was a political message but did not realize some viewed the numbers as advocating violence. "I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down," he wrote in a follow-up note. In a video message posted to Substack on Tuesday, Comey declared himself innocent and expressed confidence in...