Comey Indicted Over '86 47' Shell Photo, Sparked First Amendment Debate

A federal grand jury indicted former FBI Director James Comey for a May 2025 Instagram photo that prosecutors say threatened President Trump, arguing the image could be understood as a threat; Comey says the post was not intended as violence and defends it as protected political speech. He faces two federal charges for threatening the president and transmitting a threat across state lines, with up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The case centers on whether the post constituted a true threat or protected speech, and a North Carolina judge will decide whether it proceeds to trial after arguments from both sides.