The Rest Is Politics: US
The Rest Is Politics: US

182. Trump Vs Comey - The ‘86 47’ Feud Explained

April 29, 2026 • 40m

Summary

⏱️ 9 min read

Overview

In this episode, Katty Kay and Anthony Scaramucci dissect the Justice Department's absurd indictment of former FBI Director James Comey over a seashell photo allegedly threatening Trump, explore Trump's ongoing campaign of retribution against perceived enemies, and analyze King Charles III's politically-charged speech to Congress that defended American democratic values while Republicans stood and cheered—seemingly unaware of the coded criticism embedded in his remarks.

The Seashell Indictment: Prosecutorial Overreach Against James Comey

The Justice Department has indicted James Comey for the second time, charging him with threatening Trump's life through an Instagram photo of seashells arranged to spell "8647." This prosecutorial farce represents Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's attempt to prove his loyalty to Trump through what one prosecutor called "the most embarrassing paragraph ever written in a Justice Department indictment." The case is unlikely to survive judicial scrutiny but succeeds in its real purpose: intimidating Trump's enemies and forcing them to spend resources defending themselves.

  • James Comey indicted for allegedly threatening Trump by posting seashells arranged as '8647' on Instagram
  • The number '86' is restaurant slang meaning to remove an item from the menu, not a death threat
  • Matt Gaetz sold '86-46' merchandise targeting Joe Biden, creating obvious hypocrisy
  • The indictment likely won't reach a jury and represents prosecutorial overreach
" James Brian Comey Jr. did knowingly and willingfully make a threat to take the life of and to inflict bodily harm upon the president of the United States. In that he publicly posted a photograph on the Internet, social media site, Instagram, which depicted, drumroll, seashells arranged in a pattern making out 8647, which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of intent to do harm to the president of the United States. "
" In America, I took criminal procedure 40 years ago, and I was told you could indict a ham sandwich, but not Trump's Injustice Department. they could not indict Tish James. They could not indict James Comey the first time. "

Trump's Strategy: Intimidation, Retribution, and Distraction

Trump's "No more Mr. Nice Guy" post signals an escalating campaign of retribution designed to intimidate critics, dominate news cycles, and demonstrate absolute power over government institutions. The strategy involves using unlimited federal resources to bankrupt political enemies through legal costs, sending a chilling message to journalists, comedians, and anyone who might oppose him. This represents Trump's pattern from his business career—using lawfare to crush opponents regardless of legal merit.

  • Trump posted 'No more Mr. Nice Guy' signaling escalation of attacks on political enemies
  • The strategy aims to intimidate journalists like Jimmy Kimmel and Bill Maher into self-censorship
  • Trump wants to create 'pillow talk' fear in households of critics, pressuring them to stop criticism
  • The administration is reviewing critics' social media accounts to find pretexts for prosecution
" I want Jimmy Kimmel's wife pillow talk in the Kimmel household. Hey, Jimmy, knock it off. OK, dial back on Donald Trump. He's more powerful than you. I want to intimidate Bill Maher, Steve Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, a White House correspondent. I want to pummel them into submission. "
" It turns out that the Trump family law firm, which is now the Department of Justice, has unlimited money. it's the federal government has unlimited resources and now James Comey's going to have to hire somebody to defend him in court to get this case dismissed "

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