When appearing Legal professional Common Todd Blanche announced the indictment Tuesday of James Comey for allegedly threatening President Donald Trump, he argued that the case in opposition to the previous FBI director was “very comparable” to different instances introduced by the Division of Justice for threatening the president.
However a overview of a few of the instances instantly cited by Blanche — in addition to different comparable instances introduced within the final 12 months — counsel that the Comey case is way from a run-of-the-mill indictment for threatening a public official.
The transient indictment in opposition to Comey facilities on a single social media post displaying seashells organized to type the numbers “86 47” — interpreted to imply “eliminate” Trump, the forty seventh president. Following swift criticism of the publish, Comey eliminated the picture, stated he didn’t know the numbers had been related to violence, and condemned “violence of any variety.”
“Whereas this case is exclusive and this indictment stands out due to the title of the defendant, his alleged conduct on the identical sort of conduct that we’ll by no means tolerate and that we’ll at all times examine and recurrently prosecute,” Blanche stated.
‘I am going to kill you and your loved ones’
Blanche instantly in comparison with the case to the responsible plea of a Florida man, Diego Villavicencio, who made a number of threats in opposition to Trump, Fed Chair Jerome Powell, and Rep. Eric Swalwell. Among the many threats, Villavicencio wrote, “I am going to kill you and your loved ones.”
Prosecutors additionally alleged that Villavicencio posted on the platform 4chan that he was heading to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property to do hurt to Trump and others.
Villavicencio pleaded responsible to a number of felonies, together with the identical crime of sending interstate threats that Comey has been charged with.
‘A menace to kill’
Blanche stated that prosecutors within the Japanese District of North Carolina lately introduced “very comparable” instances in opposition to defendants who made threats to public officers, showing to reference the current responsible plea of Michael James Ferr, who was sentenced to 27 months in jail for threatening to kill then-president Joe Biden.
Prosecutors allege that Ferr made “a menace to kill” each Biden and his youngsters. When a Secret Service Agent started investigating the reported threats, Ferr allegedly threatened to kill him as effectively.
‘Burn it to the f—— floor‘
Prosecutors in Massachusetts earlier this month arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly posting eight messages on Fb threatening to kill Trump. He was charged with the identical crime that Comey faces — interstate transmission of threatening communications.
Amongst his threats, the person wrote about Trump, “I am going to be sure to’re at Mar-a-Lago after I burn it to the f—— floor.”
The person additionally allegedly brandished a sword when brokers tried to arrest him. He pleaded not responsible and is awaiting trial.
FBI Director Kash Patel speaks as Appearing Legal professional Common Todd Blanche listens at a press convention on April 28, 2026 on the Division of Justice in Washington.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Photographs
‘Crammed with political violence‘
Federal prosecutors in Kentucky earlier this month additionally introduced expenses of interstate threatening communication once they charged a 23-year-old man for posting a collection of violent anti-Trump messages on social media.
In accordance with prosecutors, the person threatened to chop Trump’s face with a razor, amongst different violent acts. Prosecutors stated the person started making the posts after declaring on-line, “im stuffed with political violence.”
The person was arrested this month and has not but entered a plea.
‘Simply want to begin killing individuals’
This month, federal prosecutors in Pennsylvania secured a responsible plea in opposition to a person who threatened to assault and homicide Trump and different federal officers. The person pleaded responsible to threatening to homicide authorities officers and impeding official duties — totally different expenses than Comey faces — although each instances heart on public threats to allegedly hurt Trump.
In accordance with prosecutors, the person obtained a firearms allow after Trump was inaugurated and commenced posting threats on-line shortly thereafter.
Among the many threats, he allegedly wrote, “Nah, we simply want to begin killing individuals,” after which he referenced Trump and the heads of federal businesses.
