All articles tagged with #86 47
Enormous numerals reading '86 47' were etched on the grass near the World War II Memorial on the National Mall, prompting a security response and officials calling it vandalism tied to anti-Trump sentiment; authorities are investigating the origin of the markings while White House officials condemn political violence and a correction notes a prior claim about James Comey arranging seashells.
A federal judge issued a two-week restraining order allowing Accountability Now USA to continue displaying an '86-47' flag at its protest near the National Mall, rejecting the argument that the phrase is an unambiguous call for violence against President Trump. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss said the banner appears to advocate Trump’s impeachment rather than presenting an imminent threat, though he noted that violent language can be contextually problematic in other cases. The decision lets the protest continue while the legal questions are resolved.
Retired Montana Supreme Court Justice James C. Nelson argues that the Comey indictment over a seashell image is a politically motivated move by Trump to punish his enemies, asserting that posting protest imagery and criticizing public officials is protected free speech and warning that the DOJ's actions threaten speech rights.
Former FBI Director James Comey was indicted again on federal charges alleging his now-deleted Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell '86 47' could be read as a threat to the President. The case centers on whether the post constitutes a true threat not protected by the First Amendment, a standard drawn from Watts, Elonis, and Counterman, with experts predicting a high bar for prosecutors and potential vindictive-prosecution defenses; Comey previously faced an indictment that was dismissed on procedural grounds.