Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said he can not find evidence of the term 86 being used as a call for violence while discussing the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
Host Jake Tapper said, “Speaking of prosecutions, the Justice Department indicted former FBI Director James Comey again, this time for posting a photograph on Instagram of seashells spelling out 86, 47, 47. Obviously, Donald Trump is the 47th president. Here’s what President Trump had to say about that.”
Trump said, “Well, if anybody knows anything about crime, they know 86, you know, in the 80s, it’s a mob term for kill them. You know, have you ever seen the movies? 86, the mobster says to one of his wonderful associates, 86 him. That means kill him.”
Tapper said, “Do you think posting 86 47 is a crime?”
Tillis said, “No, I you know, again, if this prosecution, which is coming from the Eastern District of North Carolina, if this whole case is based on a picture in the sand of, of a North Carolina beach, it again makes no sense to me. I used to work in the restaurant industry, and I think 86 actually has its roots as a cook. That’s my understanding, too. I it has its roots at 86ing the menu or 86ing thing the product. I can’t find any evidence except some that’s come up after the president made the comment about the movies. I know the penal code in North Carolina 187 means murder, but I can’t find any evidence where 86 is used to as a call for violence and again, if it’s more than just the picture, it reminds me of the two minutes of testimony against Powell. It better be more than just the picture. There have to be facts and circumstance since beyond that to convince me.”
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