Staff Reports
Former FBI Director James Comey has once again ignited controversy across the nation’s political landscape with a recent online post that many interpret as a thinly veiled attack on President Donald Trump. In an Instagram post, Comey arranged seashells to spell out “86 47,” a phrase many view as a coded call to “get rid of” or “remove” the 47th President—Donald Trump. The post sparked intense reactions, especially among those on the right who see Comey’s actions as less of a principled protest and more of a dangerous escalation by an entrenched government bureaucrat unwilling to respect the will of the American people.
Predictably, the Secret Service has launched an investigation into what officials have described as a potential threat to the president’s safety. Conservative commentators have been vocal about the recklessness of a former top law enforcement official engaging in such behavior, especially when national security and the stability of government institutions are on the line. President Trump’s supporters point to this as further evidence of a longstanding pattern among Trump’s adversaries—willing to undermine norms and even flirt with incitement when their side loses at the ballot box.
Comey, who has positioned himself as a moral crusader since his firing, has a history of elevating his grievances with President Trump to the level of existential warnings about democracy. While his apologists claim he’s defending liberty, many Americans, especially those who value law and order, see it differently: a partisan activist in the mold of the very “deep state” he accuses others of forming. The repeated interventions by former government officials like Comey do little more than erode trust in our institutions by confirming the public’s suspicion—these agencies are populated by unelected bureaucrats with personal scores to settle.
The episode serves as a stark reminder of the persistent double standard in media and government circles. Imagine if a Trump ally had used similar imagery or language about a Democratic president: the outrage and calls for prosecution would be deafening, not limited to mere online backlash and an official investigation. Instead, Comey is afforded the benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to “clarify” his intentions, while the conservative movement is once again put on the defensive.
Ultimately, the American people deserve unelected officials who respect their constitutional limits, not those who leverage their former authority to wage political proxy wars online. Calls for “resistance” disguised as moral urgency are not just misguided—they’re deeply corrosive. Instead, now is the moment for public servants to demonstrate impartiality, humility, and respect for the democratic process, regardless of who holds the Oval Office.
