Criminal case against former FBI director is an outrage. ‘86’ it now | Opinion
You might think President Donald Trump has enough to do, what with hosting British royalty, waging peace — or is it war? — in the Middle East, building a ballroom and trying to make America affordable again.
Yet somehow, he finds time to indulge his obsession with former FBI Director James B. Comey, who was recently indicted for allegedly threatening to assassinate the president by posting a cryptic message — “86 47” — written in seashells.
Comey took a photo of the shells while he was vacationing in North Carolina last May, then posted it on Instagram. After Trump allies interpreted the photo as a threat, Comey deleted the post.
That wasn’t enough to satisfy the president.
Comey now finds himself facing two felony counts: one for threatening the president’s life and the other for spreading the threat across state lines on social media.
Posting the photo may have been a bad call, but criminal?
If any crime was committed here, it’s the waste of taxpayer money poured into this ridiculous case — not a good look for an administration focused on affordability.
What does ‘86’ even mean?
According to the prosecution’s theory, “86” means to get rid of/harm/kill someone. And 47 obviously refers to President Trump.
But hold on.
The definition of “86” may have evolved over the years, but back in the day getting “86’d” usually meant being cut off or kicked out of a bar or restaurant for being drunk and/or obnoxious.
That may have been Comey’s understanding as well.
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he said when this first blew up. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.”
I suspect a boomer like Trump, who has spent much of his life in the hospitality industry, also knows full well what it means. Yet he allowed this sham of a case to proceed, even though it has little chance of success.
Getting a conviction requires proving the defendant made a “true threat.”
“Political hyperbole” or “emotionally charged rhetoric” is not enough, according to Constitution Annotated, a federal government website. Also, the defendant must understand that “the person to whom his words were directed would perceive them as threatening.”
Good luck proving that in a court of law, especially with a phrase as ambiguous as “86 47.”
And can we talk a minute about the hypocrisy here?
The Jan. 6 protesters shouted “Hang Mike Pence” while the vice president was literally just feet away. They got a full pardon from Trump, yet Comey gets prosecuted for sharing a vague message spelled out on the sand of a North Carolina beach?
Attorney general denies acting on Trump’s order
What’s frightening — yet not surprising — is that no one at the White House was brave enough to talk Trump out of this.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche even claimed ownership of the idea; he told CBS News that Trump did not direct him to seek a grand jury indictment against Comey.
“Of course not, absolutely, positively not,” he said.
He also denied that the charges were politically motivated.
Baloney.
If “86 47” truly is intended to incite violence against the president, shouldn’t something be done about all those decals, bumper stickers, T-shirts and even garden flags emblazoned with the numbers? Maybe federal law enforcement should go after the websites shipping all that merch across state lines?
Of course if won’t, because this is a bogus indictment — one that embodies the corruption of this administration and its attacks on free speech.
Credible threats of violence against the president — or anyone else — absolutely must be investigated and, if warranted, vigorously prosecuted.
But this prosecution makes a mockery of our justice system. It should be an embarrassment to anyone connected with it, including the federal grand jury that issued the indictment.
The court should toss this trumped-up case at its earliest opportunity.
