‘Mob term to kill,’ Trump attacks ex-FBI chief James Comey over ‘8647’ post, raises alarm on threats

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticised former FBI Director James Comey, calling him a “dirty cop” after he was charged over a social media post displaying the numbers “8647,” which authorities claim suggested a threat against the President.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said, "If anybody knows anything about crime, they know 86... It's a mob term for 'Kill Him'... You ever see the movies?... The mobster says to one of his wonderful associates, '86 him'... The mob uses that term when they want to kill somebody. They say, '86, that son of a gun'. I'm trying to keep the language nice and clear. They don't use that term, 'son of a gun'. They use another term..."

When asked if he believed his life was in danger, Trump responded, "Probably. I don't know. Based on what I'm seeing out there, yeah. People like Comey have created tremendous danger, I think, for politicians and others. Comey is a dirty cop. He's a very dirty cop. He cheated in the elections. He tried to help Hillary Clinton, as you know; he dismissed a lot of things that he should have proceeded with. I wasn't involved, but he should have proceeded with... No, he's a dirty cop. He's a crooked man."

According to CNN, James Comey turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday and appeared before a federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia. The brief hearing lasted under 10 minutes, after which the court permitted him to leave without imposing any release conditions.

Judge William Fitzpatrick noted that similar proceedings previously did not impose restrictions, stating there was no immediate need for such measures. Comey has been charged with making a threat against the President and transmitting that threat in interstate commerce.

The charges stem from a social media post last May, where Comey shared a photograph of seashells arranged to form "86 47," captioned as a "cool shell formation." The post quickly drew criticism from Republican leaders and administration officials, who interpreted it as a coded threat against Trump.

Federal prosecutors argued that the sequence is a coded call for violence against the sitting President. In political and "soda-counter" slang, the term "86" is commonly used to mean "get rid of," "eject," or, in more extreme contexts, "kill." The number "47" refers to Donald Trump's status as the 47th President of the United States.

Comey, who has been a vocal critic of Trump since his firing in 2017, vigorously denies that the post was a threat. He deleted the image shortly after it was posted last year, issuing a clarification at the time.

Comey claimed he saw the shell formation during a beach walk and assumed it was a "cool" political message against the administration. In a video posted to his Substack following the indictment, Comey remained defiant. "I am still innocent. I am still not afraid," he said. "This is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be."

Comey's legal team has indicated plans to challenge the case, arguing that the prosecution is selective and politically motivated. No date has yet been set for his arraignment in North Carolina, where the case will proceed.