Trump’s DOJ Indicts Comey on Absurd Charges to Please Boss, Faces Pushback from GOP

The Justice Department’s latest stunt — charging former FBI Director James Comey with felony threats against President Trump based on a cryptic Instagram photo — is a naked political prosecution and a grotesque abuse of power. The post in question featured seashells arranged to spell “86 47,” which prosecutors bizarrely claim was a death threat. Everyone involved knows this is nonsense.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the architect of the indictment, tried to feign seriousness in TV interviews but only exposed the farce. When pressed for proof that Comey knowingly threatened the president, Blanche pointed only to the indictment itself as evidence. His attempts to justify the selective prosecution fell flat, especially when he refused to say whether similar posts by MAGA influencers were investigated.

FBI Director Kash Patel echoed the charade, insisting the case took nearly a year to investigate, as if reading an Instagram post required a major FBI probe. Even Trump, who has no qualms about punishing dissent, could barely keep a straight face. Asked if he felt genuinely threatened by Comey’s post, Trump hedged, saying “probably” but offering no concrete concern.

This humiliating spectacle is not about justice. Blanche and Patel are clearly groveling for Trump’s favor — Blanche to secure a permanent Attorney General nomination, Patel to maintain his position amid reports Trump is tiring of him. Trump, meanwhile, has no need to impress anyone.

What makes this farce urgent is that Trump’s grip on power is weaker than ever. His attempts at political retribution are unraveling in court, and the Senate Judiciary Committee — which must approve Blanche’s nomination — includes Republicans openly questioning the Comey indictment.

Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, fresh off forcing the White House to drop another politically motivated prosecution, expressed deep skepticism. “I can’t find one example where the number 86 had anything to do with any violent threat,” Tillis told reporters. Tillis’s doubts could doom Blanche’s nomination, as committee Republicans would need to unanimously approve it.

Other GOP senators are less critical but no less political. Josh Hawley, a former first-amendment lawyer, defended the indictment on Fox News, while Ted Cruz has stayed silent, likely supporting any move against Comey.

This indictment is a clear example of the Trump administration weaponizing the Justice Department to target political enemies and undermine the rule of law. But with key Republicans questioning the legitimacy of these prosecutions, the administration’s political retribution campaign may be hitting serious roadblocks.

We’ll be watching closely as this farce unfolds, because the stakes are about far more than Comey — they’re about whether the Justice Department remains an independent institution or a tool of authoritarian vengeance.