FBI’s Patel Slams Comey’s 'Destructive' Post in Trump Threat Case

In a chilling development, FBI Director Kash Patel has publicly condemned the actions of Peter Stinson, a former Coast Guard officer arrested for allegedly threatening to assassinate President Donald Trump. Patel didn’t hold back, pointing a finger at a controversial Instagram post by former FBI Director James Comey as a dangerous catalyst. According to Patel, Stinson’s threats echoed the cryptic '86 47' message Comey shared earlier this year—a post that was quickly deleted but not before stirring significant backlash.

Stinson, who served in the Coast Guard from 1988 to 2021 as a sharpshooter and FEMA instructor, reportedly made graphic threats against Trump, with court documents citing 13 references to Comey’s infamous message. He’s set to face federal court for the first time on Wednesday, and the weight of his words, including posts invoking past assassination attempts on Trump, paints a deeply troubling picture. One chilling post even critiqued the Secret Service’s response during a July incident in Pennsylvania, calling it a 'missed opportunity.'

Now, let’s talk about that Instagram post. Comey’s '86 47'—a number tied to Trump as the 47th president and slang for 'getting rid of' something—caused an uproar when it surfaced in May. Though Comey has since insisted there was no sinister intent, claiming it was a harmless reference tied to his wife’s restaurant days, the damage was done. Patel argues this stunt forced the FBI to divert critical resources to handle a wave of copycat threats, pulling agents away from protecting the public to clean up the mess.

A Predictable Tragedy? Patel called Stinson’s case 'tragically predictable,' suggesting that reckless actions like Comey’s post have real-world consequences. While Comey isn’t under investigation and maintains his innocence, the lingering question remains: how much did that fleeting social media moment inspire dangerous rhetoric? Court records show Stinson’s threats predate Comey’s post, including disturbing messages during the 2024 campaign, but the overlap is impossible to ignore.

This arrest follows another recent indictment of a California man for similar threats against Trump after his reelection. With two assassination attempts already survived, the stakes couldn’t be higher. As Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized, such threats are taken with deadly seriousness. Law enforcement remains on high alert, and rightfully so—when words turn to potential violence, there’s no room for error.