Opinion
By Steve Nicklas, 5-19-25
On a normal walk on the beach, you expect to see shells and seagulls and waves – not cryptic political messages.
First off, there is nothing normal about former FBI director James Comey. And there is nothing normal about his walk on the beach last week. To say Comey walks to a different drummer is an insult to drummers. And to say he has subjected himself to federal scrutiny by posting an “86 47” picture is an understatement laced with steroids.
Comey casually posted the image, etched in multi-color shells in the sand, or so he says. He says he didn’t know the ‘86’ symbol is synonymous with eliminating someone or something. Of course, “47” is Donald Trump’s number in the presidential pecking order.
The disgraced former FBI official quickly removed the picture from his Instagram account and apologized after starting a firestorm of controversy. However, the post remained on Comey’s page for about one hour, in full public view, according to reports.
As would be expected, the U.S. Secret Service will investigate Comey’s actions as a preliminary step. Yet some Trump administration officials want more than a slap on the wrist. They want a Mike Tyson-style punch in the face with a felony charge for threatening the U.S. president.
Top security official Tulsi Gabbard says Comey was “issuing a hit” on Trump with the post. Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence, feels Comey should be “put behind bars.”
In an interview, Trump was asked about Comey’s distasteful act. “He’s calling for the assassination of a president,” Trump said. “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that means.”
It couldn’t happen to a craftier guy. Comey spearheaded the sham Russian collusion investigation against Trump, while spying on his campaign and his administration. Comey also astonishingly absolved then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of guilt after thousands of classified documents were found on her home computer.
Comey saying he didn’t know what ‘86’ meant is laughable. As a former U.S. prosecutor, before becoming the FBI director, Comey handled multiple cases against mafia members. Comey’s name is listed on the legal paperwork.
The term “86” was routinely used by mafia members and aided in their convictions. The mafia used the term as a code word for killing someone. And it implies taking a dead body ‘8’ miles away and burying it ‘6’ feet deep.
Hopefully Trump-antagonist Comey will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The U.S. Constitution clearly prohibits death threats against a president. And Comey’s story that he photographed the shell formation during a random walk on an unidentified beach has more holes than a block of Swiss cheese.
Our legal system has been decimated in recent years with two-tiered justice. Bringing swift justice in this instance would help to restore the public’s confidence in the law in our country.
Steve Nicklas, CRPC, CLTC, is a veteran financial advisor and an award-winning financial columnist. His columns have appeared in the New York Times newspaper group as well as in Community Newspapers, Inc. He has also written a book, “All About Money,” which is a compilation of his favorite columns (it is available on Amazon). He has also done business reports for area radio stations including National Public Radio in Jacksonville. He can be reached at 904-753-0236 or at [email protected].
