Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was facing growing scrutiny on Tuesday after the Justice Department announced it would pursue charges for the second time against former FBI Director James Comey, whom President Donald Trump has identified as a political adversary.
Comey was charged by the DOJ with threatening the life of President Donald Trump. The maximum prison sentence is 10 years.
The indictment stemmed from an image of seashells that said "8647," which Comey posted on Instagram in 2025 while on a beach walk in North Carolina and later removed.
People on social media were in disbelief over Comey's second indictment.
"This is so embarrassing for you Todd," Sarah Longwell, founder and publisher of The Bulwark, wrote on X.
"MAGA uses overt hypocrisy as a weapon," Dr. Joseph Frusci, educator and cybersecurity expert, wrote on X.
"How does a guy like Blanche lose the capacity for shame?" U.S. Marine Gene Frenkle wrote on X.
"James Comey didn’t threaten anyone’s life and no serious person interprets seashells saying '86' — which people say to mean remove — as 'conveying a serious attempt to harm the president.' This DOJ is p---ing on the Constitution and the First Amendment and this will be remembered in shame," Brad Polumbo, journalist and YouTuber, wrote on X.