Former FBI Director James Comey has warned of Donald Trump’s “bottomless desire” for revenge after he was indicted for a photo of seashells that the Department of Justice claims amounts to “making threats to harm” the president.
Comey, who became a fierce Trump critic after the president fired him during his first term, spoke out Monday in his first interview since the latest indictment. “There's a cost to speaking up in this strange era,” he said, but insisted he will not stop criticising Trump “because I think that's required if you care about America.”
In May 2025, Comey posted a photo on social media of seashells on the beach that read “86 47.” The first number is slang for getting rid of something, and the second is a presumed reference to Trump, the 47th president. Comey maintained his innocence and predicted that “if this case falls apart, they'll come up with something else.”
This is the second time the DOJ has indicted Comey in recent months. Last September, he was charged with making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding; that case was dismissed in November because the prosecutor had been illegally appointed. Other Trump critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former national security adviser John Bolton, have also faced prosecution, with James’s case also dismissed.
Former President Barack Obama recently slammed the administration for prosecuting perceived political enemies, saying “the White House shouldn't be able to direct the attorney general to go around prosecuting whoever the president wants.” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche called allegations of retribution “simply false.”
