Katty Kay

So let me just read to you.

This is what it says.

James Brian Comey Jr.

did knowingly and willingfully make a threat to take the life of and to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States.

Sounds serious, right?

Sounds really bad.

In that he publicly posted a photograph on the internet, social media site, Instagram, which depicted, drum roll, seashells.

arranged in a pattern making out 86-47, which a reasonable recipient who is familiar with the circumstances would interpret as a serious expression of intent to do harm to the President of the United States.

They are dangerous things, seashells, Anthony.

Dangerous things.

And Jim Comey is now using a picture of seashells, allegedly, to try and threaten the President of the United States.

This must be one of the more bogus indictments that the Justice Department has ever launched, but it's probably a very good job application for the acting Attorney General.

What say you, Mr. Law Professor?

I bet it doesn't even make it to a jury.

Well, first of all, two things.

The acting attorney general, Todd Blanch, is doing this to prove that he is more of a pit bull than his predecessor, Pam Bondi, who was thrown out of office in part because she could not enact a campaign of retribution against Donald Trump's enemies.

Donald Trump is doing this because he has a campaign of retribution and he wants it enacted and he wants his political enemies to be punished.

And he also likes the distraction and he also wants to be front and center of the news cycle.

And it is a heck of a lot better to be talking about Jim Comey and his seashells than it is to be talking about gas prices, the war in Iran that is not going so well, the Epstein files that have not been opened.

And it's a way of dominating the conversation.