A federal judge on Tuesday granted former FBI Director James Comey’s request to delay his criminal trial over allegations that he threatened President Donald Trump through a social media post featuring seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.”U.S. District Judge Louise Wood Flanagan rescheduled the trial to begin Oct. 21 in New Bern, North Carolina, after prosecutors did not oppose the delay request. The trial had previously been set for July 15. Comey’s arraignment is now scheduled for Sept. 30.The delay came after Comey’s lawyers indicated they plan to file “multiple motions on constitutional grounds” seeking dismissal of the case before trial. Those motions are expected to be filed in July.
A federal grand jury charged Comey in late April with threatening harm to the president and transmitting a threat across state lines stemming from a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged on a North Carolina beach to form the numbers “86 47.” Trump allies and administration officials have said the phrase amounted to a veiled threat against Trump, the 47th president.
The slang term “86,” which originated in the restaurant industry, can mean to discard, remove, or “get rid of” something.
