Washington DC — US President Donald Trump delivered a scathing critique of James Comey on Wednesday, labeling the former FBI Director a "dirty cop" following Comey's indictment. The charges involve a social media image of the numbers "8647”, which the government claims was a veiled threat against the President.

Addressing the media, Trump explained his interpretation of the numeric code. "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 questioned about potential threats to his safety, the President admitted, "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."

Comey surrendered to authorities on Wednesday, appearing briefly in a Virginia federal court. The session lasted under 10 minutes, ending with Judge William Fitzpatrick allowing Comey’s release without conditions, noting that similar cases had not required restrictive measures.

The indictment centers on a May 2025 post where Comey shared a photo of seashells arranged as "86 47," calling it a "cool shell formation." While Comey has consistently denied any violent intent, federal prosecutors argue the sequence is a coded call for harm. In various contexts, "86" translates to "discard" or "eliminate," while "47" refers to Trump’s current term as the 47th President.

Comey, a frequent critic of the administration since his 2017 dismissal, maintains his innocence. Despite deleting the post last year and issuing a clarification, he now faces charges of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. In a recent video, Comey remained resolute, stating, "I am still innocent. I am still not afraid. This is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be."
Comey’s legal team intends to fight the case, claiming the prosecution is politically motivated. The case is expected to proceed in North Carolina, though an arraignment date has not yet been finalised.

ANI