RE: "86 47"

On our radio program Friday, I mentioned that former FBI director James Comey, whom President Trump fired in his first term of the presidency, posted a picture of seashells on a beach where he was taking a walk. The seashells had been placed to read "86 47."

Most people immediately knew what those numbers were referring to: 86 is often used for disposing of something or someone in the world of crime.

Usually, the assassination of someone.

Donald Trump is the 47th President of the United States.

I mentioned Friday that this story would likely blow up over the weekend.

It did.

Former FBI Director James Comey quickly removed the picture of the "shells with a message," claiming he had no idea what that meant, but he thought it "might have something to do with politics."

Most conservatives believe he is lying. I think many so-called "progressives" believe that, too.

The former FBI Director is now facing a federal investigation.

The media is racing to his rescue. The New York Times was the first to arrive at the scene. 

Be informed, not misled.

The New York Times identified what had happened, then began a long and winding explanation in their attempt to discredit anyone and everyone who took issue with what Comey had done, especially in light of the two assassination attempts already made on Trump's life.

NYT  introduced the issue with this:

The Trump administration is investigating James Comey, the former F.B.I. director who was fired by President Trump in his first term, for a social media post that officials claim amounted to a call for Mr. Trump’s assassination, members of the president’s cabinet said on Thursday evening.

The Instagram post, which Mr. Comey later took down and said was not meant as a call for violence, showed seashells on a beach forming the numbers “86 47,” a phrase used by critics of the president online, at protests, and on signs and clothing. “Eighty-six,” according to Merriam-Webster, is an old slang term meaning to dismiss or remove, and Mr. Trump is the 47th president.

The phrase has not previously been described by officials in the current administration as threatening to Mr. Trump, but soon after Mr. Comey made the post on Thursday, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, asserted that the former F.B.I. director had “called for the assassination” of Mr. Trump and that “D.H.S. and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”

Other high-level Trump administration officials soon chimed in to denounce Mr. Comey’s post, which he had already removed and replaced with a new message that he “didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.” Kash Patel, the current F.B.I. director, announced that his agency would “support the investigation” by the Secret Service, and Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, appeared on Fox News hours later and said that Mr. Comey should be jailed.

“James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars,” Ms. Gabbard said in an interview with Jesse Watters."

Some wonder if he, himself, created the "message" with the shells. He has actually done that in the past with a different message.

The Federalist is wondering if you've noticed the silence of the Democrats? 

They noted, "Democrats are not moved by former FBI Director James Comey’s beachcombing, social media post apparently calling for the assassination of President Trump. Try finding a Democrat condemning it."

In fact, The Federalist specifically asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Minority Whip Rep. Katherine Clark, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar if they planned to condemn Comey’s post. No response.

I'm wondering if the number of footprints in the sand around the "message shells" will reveal anything.

I'm also curious if Mr. Comey placed the shells in the sand himself, rather than just happening upon them.

Mark Hemingway, also a writer for The Federalist says, "After posting the offending shell photo, the very next post on Instagram was him [Comey] posting the favorable Publisher’s Weekly review of his third crime novel, out next week. What’s it about, you ask?"

Here's what the publisher says it's about: 

Former FBI director Comey (Westport) reunites the protagonists of his first two legal thrillers for his strongest outing yet. U.S. attorney Carmen Garcia is trying to take down Samuel Buchanan, a far-right media personality with a popular podcast vilifying those he thinks are destroying America: intellectuals, immigrants, and people of color. Garcia believes Buchanan went far beyond the protection of the First Amendment when he singled out his enemies by name and suggested “something should be done” about them. His fans have obliged, killing or grievously injuring some of his foes. In a series of tense and exhilarating courtroom scenes, Garcia works with Deputy U.S. Attorney Nora Carleton to bring Buchanan down. Then, just as they’ve convicted him, a new threat emerges. 

So let me get this straight, Comey’s book is about successfully prosecuting a right-wing commentator for making vaguely worded threats? Really?

Breitbart News said yesterday, "Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Dan Bongino slammed former FBI Director James Comey on Saturday following his alleged threat against President Donald Trump, and he also revealed the agency is having to clean up 'messes' Comey left after vacating his role."

In a lengthy post on X, Bongino said he and FBI Director Kash Patel are charged with managing “the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world,” and it is their responsibility to look at “grave mistakes” previous FBI agents made to ensure those things never happen again:

This is part of what he said on his lengthy post:

• That said, former FBI Director James Comey brought shame to the FBI badge, yet again, this past week. The Director and I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up messes left behind by former Director Comey. And his latest actions are no exception. 
• As I’ve stated in the past, I cannot post openly about all the things the Director and I are doing to reform the enterprise, but I assure you, they are happening. Sadly, many of those agenda items are the result of former Director Comey’s poor decision-making and atrocious leadership. And to those who doubt me, I assure you, when you see what the Director and I see from the inside, it’s even worse.

Takeaway

Beth Brelje writes, "If they can’t stop Trump with a fake Russian collusion, impeachments, threats of jail, sexual scandals, rioting in the street, the Covid pandemic, or an avalanche of legal challenges heard by hand-picked activist judges, they may think there is only one way to remove him for sure. Trump winning the election was an important battle. But we are still at war over the very soul of this country. That is why Comey’s post matters, and why he must be held accountable for it."

Democrats are fond of saying no one is above the law — except in this case.

Don Jr., the president’s son, wrote, “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”

Comey subsequently deleted the picture, saying he didn’t understand what the message meant in its entirety. 

“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize folks associate those numbers with violence,” Comey wrote on Instagram. 

“It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.”

The president survived two back-to-back attempts on his life in 2024. He was first shot at during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, by a 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks. The bullet narrowly missed the president’s head but grazed his ear, leaving him bloody. 

The president was then targeted in September on his golf course in Palm Beach after Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, waited over 12 hours in the bushes scoping out Trump’s route with a gun in hand. Routh fled after Secret Service agents fired at him, but was later arrested and is awaiting trial in Florida.

Comey must be held accountable.

Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Engaged. Be Prayerful for our country and for President Trump.