James Comey: Ex-FBI Director Faces Federal Charge After Instagram Post Threatening President Trump

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - Former FBI Director James Comey returned to the public spotlight after a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of North Carolina issued an indictment against him on April 28, 2026.

This indictment was the second filed by the Department of Justice under President Donald Trump.

This time, James Comey was accused of making threats to kill and cause bodily harm to President Donald J. Trump, serious charges that could potentially land him in prison.

The case stemmed from his controversial Instagram social media post.

This incident deepened the long-standing tension between Comey and Trump, which began with Comey's firing in 2017.

The indictment against James Comey centered on an Instagram post he shared on May 15, 2025.

In the post, Comey featured a photo of seashells arranged in the shape of the numbers "86 47," with the caption, "Cool seashell formation on my beach walk.

"The number "86" is widely interpreted as slang for "get rid of" or "kill someone," while "47" refers to Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States.

This combination of numbers strongly suggests a veiled threat against the President.

Comey deleted the post shortly after publication, explaining that he was unaware of the violent connotations of the numbers and opposed any form of violence.

The federal indictment against James Comey includes two serious charges.

First, he is accused of making threats against the President, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 871.

Second, Comey is also charged with transmitting threats in interstate commerce, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c).

If convicted of these charges, Comey faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The indictment specifically states that “a reasonable recipient familiar with the circumstances would have interpreted” the post as “a serious expression of intent to do harm to the President of the United States.”

At a press conference announcing the indictment, FBI Director Kash Patel said that as a former director of the agency, Comey was "knew full well the attention and consequences of making such a post".

"James Comey disgracefully encouraged a threat on President Trump's life and posted it on Instagram for the world to see," Kash Patel said on Tuesday.

In response to the indictment, James Comey has maintained his innocence and publicly criticized the current Justice Department.

In a video statement, Comey asserted, “This is not over. Nothing has changed for me. I am still innocent, I am still not afraid, and I still believe in an independent federal judiciary, so let’s move on.”

Previously, in September 2025, the Justice Department charged Comey with making false statements and obstructing Congress in connection with alleged leaks to the press.

However, the case was later dismissed by a federal judge.

The previous dismissal occurred because the prosecutor overseeing the case was not properly appointed, highlighting potential procedural issues in the prosecution of Comey.