86 Dilemma: The Semantic Battle in Comey’s Indictment

A federal indictment of former FBI Director James Comey centers on the meaning of '86'—whether it signals a threat to kill the president or simply to remove something—an ambiguity that could undermine prosecutors' ability to prove intent beyond a reasonable doubt. The charges spell out threatening the president and transmitting a threat via Instagram, with a combined maximum penalty of 10 years. Comey says there was no violent intent and deleted the post; Trump argues it signaled assassination. Legal experts are split on whether the evidence supports intent.