Trump’s Latest Gaslighting: Trying to Criminalize “86” and Target Comey with Absurd Charges

If you thought the Trump administration’s abuse of power had hit its peak, think again. In a stunning display of political theater and legal overreach, Trump’s Justice Department is once more targeting former FBI Director James Comey — this time for an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.” According to Trump and his loyalists, this innocent post is a death threat. The claim is so absurd it would be laughable if it weren’t part of a broader pattern of authoritarian behavior.

The phrase “86” has a long history in American slang, dating back to the 1930s when soda jerks used it to mean “out of stock.” By the 1950s, it evolved to mean ejecting an unruly customer or refusing service — a meaning familiar to many. Over time, “86” even picked up a darker connotation in mobster lore as shorthand for “eight miles out and six feet deep,” implying a hit or murder. But none of these meanings remotely justify the Trump administration’s claim that Comey’s seashell photo was a threat.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Chief Kash Patel have embraced this nonsense, weaponizing the federal government to pursue political vendettas. This is not just about Comey; it’s about sending a chilling message to anyone who dares oppose Trump. The administration’s attempts to criminalize common language and harmless expressions are a clear sign of their desperation and willingness to trample democratic norms.

This latest episode fits into a disturbing pattern of loyalty purges, politicization of law enforcement, and abuse of power. Trump’s brazen rewriting of language and law to fit his vendettas reveals an administration increasingly detached from reality and rule of law. We will keep tracking these abuses and calling them out — because accountability is not optional, even when the powerful try to rewrite the rules.