James Comey assures he is innocent after being accused of threatening Trump: 'I'm still not afraid'

Former FBI Director James Comey broke his silence on Tuesday after being the subject of a second formal indictment by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The new prosecution centers on a social media post by Comey a year ago, which federal authorities have interpreted as a direct threat to the integrity of President Donald Trump. Through a video posted on his Substack, Comey dismissed the charges and assured that he is not intimidated by the advancement of justice under the current administration.

"Well, they're back. This time over a photo of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won't be the end, but nothing has changed with me," the former official asserted.

During his 39-second speech, Comey insisted that he was completely unaware of the crimes charged: "I'm still innocent. I'm still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So, go ahead."

Code "86 47"

The indictment, which consists of two felony charges, stems from an Instagram photograph posted in May 2025. The image showed a formation of seashells drawing the numbers "86 47."

In service industry jargon, the term "86" means to expel, cancel or get rid of something; meanwhile, the number "47" identifies Donald Trump as the forty-seventh president of the United States.

The DOJ contends that Comey knowingly and deliberately threatened the president's life. According to the indictment, a reasonable person would interpret such an image as a "serious expression of an intent to harm." Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the forcefulness of the investigation during a news conference:

"I think it's fair to say that threatening anyone's life is dangerous and potentially a crime; threatening the life of the president of the United States will never be tolerated by the Department of Justice," he said.

Blanche added that while the defendant's name makes the case stand out, the alleged conduct is the same conduct that the DOJ "will always investigate and prosecute on a regular basis."

White House response

James Comey removed the post the same day he uploaded it in 2025, claiming at the time that he had misinterpreted the shells' message as purely political. "I didn't realize that some people associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me," he wrote at the time.

However, President Trump categorically rejected that explanation during a recent interview with Bret Baier on Fox News:

"He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you're the director of the FBI and you don't know what that meant, that meant 'assassination,' and he says it loud and clear," he asserted.

For their part, figures such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard have been critical of the former FBI chief, suggesting he should be jailed for what she called a "call to assassinate" the president.

Comey was fired by Trump in 2017. In March this year, he had been subpoenaed to testify in an investigation into a possible conspiracy against the president involving judicial, intelligence and Democratic officials who may have violated the law and lied under oath to "investigate, prosecute and undermine" Trump since 2016.

In addition, in late 2025, a federal judge dismissed another DOJ indictment against Comey, then for alleged obstruction of justice and false testimony to Congress.