Bill Maher mocks '86 47' uproar, says Trump team is 'going a little crazy' after Comey's indictment

WASHINGTON, DC: Comedian Bill Maher, on Friday, May 1 turned one of Washington’s biggest political controversies into late-night material, using his monologue on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' to mock the Trump administration’s reaction to former FBI Chief James Comey and his now-infamous '86 47' seashell post.

Maher brought up the controversy directly during his opening remarks, telling the audience, “Have you heard about this? Yes, very serious stuff. The Justice Department is trying to put James Comey in jail for posting seashells” before taking shots at the Trump administration.

Bill Maher mocks DOJ indictment of Comey

During the monologue on his show, Bill Maher spoke about the shooting at White House Correspondents' dinner and indictment of former FBI chief James Comey.

Speaking on indictment, Maher sarcastically referred to Comey as “the Manchurian beachcomber,” before adding, “Yeah, they’re going a little crazy there in Washington.”

After mocking the Comey case, Maher pivoted to the recent violence at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, where an armed suspect allegedly attempted to breach security while Donald Trump and senior administration officials were inside.

“We are officially now in the age of Gen Z assassins,” Maher joked, referencing reports that the suspect allegedly took a selfie before the attack.

“Before he did it, he took a selfie. I’m not making that up. His manifesto had jokes... jokes.”

Maher then took another swipe at Washington’s political class, joking that no one inside the ballroom was seriously hurt because “as soon as it started, everyone went under the table where a lot of the Trump administration was anyway.”

He later circled back to Comey with another punchline, joking that the suspect looked like “the last person you’d expect to be trying to kill the president until he was activated by James Comey’s seashells.”

James Comey's indictment by DOJ

Maher’s monologue comes just days after the US Justice Department secured a fresh indictment against Comey over a May 2025 Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell '86 47.'

Prosecutors allege the numbers amounted to a threat against Trump, the 47th president, while Trump allies have argued the phrase '86' can imply violent intent. 

Comey later deleted the post, saying he viewed it as a political message and never intended it as a call for violence.

He now faces federal charges tied to alleged threats against the president, and legal experts say the case could become a major fight in the months ahead.