Former FBI Director James Comey said he will continue publicly criticizing Donald Trump while facing two criminal counts in North Carolina over a May photo that included the message “86 47,” which prosecutors say was a threat. Comey called the prosecution politically motivated, denied wrongdoing and said earlier legal claims were dismissed. He declined to preview his courtroom remarks and emphasized respect for the judicial process. Comey is due for arraignment on June 30, with a July 15 court date scheduled.
Comey Says He'll Keep Criticizing Trump As He Faces North Carolina Criminal Case
Comey says he’s not going to stop criticizing Trump ahead of criminal trial
Former FBI Director James Comey said Monday he will continue publicly criticizing former President Donald Trump even as he faces a criminal case in North Carolina that accuses him of threatening the former president.
“I’m not going to be quiet. I’m going to continue to speak about what I believe,” Comey told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace. “Donald Trump has a bottomless desire to gain revenge against those who criticized him.”
The charges stem from a photograph of seashells Comey posted in May that included the message “86 47.” Prosecutors allege the image amounted to a threat against Trump and have brought two counts in the Eastern District of North Carolina. In American restaurant slang, to “86” something means to get rid of it; Trump served as the 47th president.
Comey reiterated that he views the prosecution as politically motivated and directed at him personally. He denied any wrongdoing and said earlier legal claims he faced were dismissed.
“I think Donald Trump wakes up at 3:00 in the morning thinking about me. I do not; the reverse does not happen,” Comey said. “But I’m sure that if this case falls apart, they’ll come up with something else. I’m going to have to deal with this, as I’ve told my family — they’re going to have to deal with this as long as Donald Trump is in the White House thinking about me in the middle of the night.”
In the same interview, Comey criticized President Trump’s second-term cabinet and West Wing staff, saying they are, in his view, less willing to uphold institutional norms and the rule of law than officials in the first term.
“There doesn’t appear to be anybody left who is willing to stand for institutional imperatives, norms, things like the rule of law in the face of a desire by the president,” he said. “There were those people in the first term. Trump spotted it and wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again. Apparently, it happened a little bit, at least with Pam Bondi. So, she’s gone. What it tells me is that he has found the crew that he was looking for.”
Comey declined to preview how he will testify or discuss the specifics of the charges, saying he wants to respect the judicial process.
“I hate to stiff-arm you, but I’m going to do the same thing,” he told Wallace. “It’s very important that we respect and obey the rules of the federal court in North Carolina and everywhere, even if others don’t. And so, I’m not going to talk about that except to say, as I said earlier, I am not only not guilty, I am innocent, and we will pursue this fully.”
Comey is due for arraignment in the Eastern District of North Carolina on June 30, when he is expected to enter a formal not guilty plea. A July 15 court date is also scheduled. The case will be heard by U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, in New Bern, N.C.
Reporting credits: Zach Schonfeld and Ella Lee contributed to reporting. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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