The Daily Show Mocks DOJ for Indicting James Comey Over Seashell Photo Threat

Comedy Central’s The Daily Show sharply criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for indicting former FBI Director James Comey over a since-deleted photo of seashells that prosecutors claimed spelled out a threat against the president.

During Wednesday’s monologue, host Josh Johnson mocked the DOJ’s legal reasoning, questioning whether Comey’s post truly constituted a credible threat.

“He walked on a beach and took a picture of seashells and even posted on social media, like we wanted to see it too,” Johnson said, referencing Comey’s social media activity.

The controversy stems from a photo Comey posted that featured seashells arranged to spell “86-47.” Prosecutors interpreted this as a coded message, with “86” allegedly meaning “to kill” and “47” referring to President Donald Trump, the 47th U.S. president.

Johnson played footage from ABC’s Good Morning America, which reported on the indictment, before delivering his punchline:

“That’s the threat? Are you sure he was acting alone? Because as long as we’re indicting, I heard about a woman who sells seashells by the seashore. That’s suspicious as hell.”

He continued to dismantle the prosecution’s argument:

“Seriously, how do you get from this post that James Comey wants to murder the president?”

The show then aired clips of political commentators claiming that “86” was a “kill order” slang term, reinforcing the absurdity of the indictment.

Johnson added:

“Just so you’re aware, this is probably not going to work in court. Because I know it’s scary to be indicted, but this is definitely going to get 86ed by a judge.”

He also questioned the DOJ’s timing, noting it took nearly a year to pursue the case:

“And, in fact, if I could talk to the Department of Justice for just a second, I don’t even think you believe you. Because if you’re saying that those menacing seashells were a threat to the president, then why did it take you nearly a year to come after Comey? I thought the Secret Service on Saturday night was slow. I owe them an apology.”

Johnson clarified the actual meaning of “86,” explaining it has been slang for “to remove” or “to eject” since the 1930s:

“It’s been understood to mean those things since the 1930s. It’s actually one of the last good slang terms that white people invented. Since then, it’s been nothing but ‘bazinga’ and ‘amazeballs’ and a few new slurs, mostly the slurs.”

The host also criticized the use of DOJ resources to target political opponents:

“[The president] felt totally unencumbered to use the power of the Justice Department to go after people he doesn’t like.”

The Daily Show airs weeknights at 11 p.m. ET on Comedy Central.