Vice Mayor Larry Lang's '86 47' posts spark calls to resign over Trump reference

LOS ALTOS, CALIFORNIA: The Vice Mayor of Los Altos, California, Larry Lang, is facing calls to resign after posting “86 47” multiple times on social media, prompting criticism from the California Republican Party and conservative commentators.

The now-deleted posts included a Facebook cover photo and a comment under a California GOP post, both featuring the phrase that critics described as a threat directed at President Donald Trump.

The controversy comes amid heightened scrutiny over the phrase “86 47,” which recently became the focus of legal action involving former FBI Director James Comey. Republicans in California said the posts were inappropriate and called on Lang to step down from office.

California GOP condemns posts and calls for resignation

Screenshots shared by the California Republican Party showed that Lang had changed his Facebook cover photo to an image of seashells arranged to spell “86 47,” the same imagery that recently led to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.

Lang also commented “86 47” on a California Republican Party Facebook post earlier in the week.

That post included a news segment featuring California GOP Chairperson Corrin Rankin discussing a recent debate between gubernatorial candidates. 

During the segment, Rankin argued that Democrats in California “have no solutions” and said voters were seeking new leadership after 16 years of Democratic control in the state.

Rankin later condemned Lang’s posts in a statement on X and called for his resignation. 

“This death threat directed at Donald Trump is unacceptable. Either this elected ‘leader’ is completely unaware of recent events, or he is somehow fueling the violence that erodes our political system,” Rankin said. “Los Altos deserves leaders who unite the community and focus on solutions.”

The California Republican Party echoed Rankin’s comments, urging Democrats to “stop advocating for the death of Donald Trump and Republicans.” 

Conservative social media account Libs of TikTok also called for Lang to resign, posting: “He needs to resign as vice mayor!”

Lang has not publicly commented on the matter. An automatic email response from his account said he was traveling until May 4, while his Facebook cover photo was changed on Friday, May 1.

'86 47' phrase draws renewed scrutiny after James Comey's indictment

The phrase “86” is often used in slang to mean getting rid of something, while “47” allegedly refers to Trump’s position as the 47th President of the United States. 

The phrase has drawn increased scrutiny after James Comey was indicted for a second time by the Justice Department last month over a May 2025 Instagram post showing a similar “86 47” shell formation.

Comey later removed the post, saying he had misinterpreted it as a general political message.

Prosecutors charged him with making threats to harm the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce, charges that carry a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Republican National Committee spokesperson Nick Poche also criticized Lang over the posts, saying Democrats “must immediately dial back their unhinged rhetoric” or risk encouraging violence.

Lang currently serves on the Los Altos City Council and sits on several regional boards of directors. As of publication, neither Lang nor other city council members had publicly responded to the calls for his resignation.