California deputy mayor Larry Lang blasted after ’86 47′ comment on state GOP online post

The chairman of the California Republican Party and other social media activists are calling for Los Altos, California’s deputy mayor, Larry Lang, to resign after he repeatedly wrote “86 47” on social media, including in response to one of the Republican Party’s Facebook posts.

The now-deleted post, screenshots of which were shared by the California Republican Party and reviewed by Fox News Digital, show that sometime this week Lang updated his “cover photo” on Facebook so it was the same photo of the “86 47” marine shell formation that led to former FBI Director James Comey being indicted in federal court last month for threats against the president.

Meanwhile, Lang also commented “86 47” in a post shared by the California Republican Party earlier this week on Facebook. The clip included a news segment featuring California GOP Chairman Corrin Rankin talking about the latest debate between California’s current candidates. He took issue with a section that said Democrats in the state “have no solutions,” adding that Californians are ready for new leadership after 16 years of Democratic Party rule in the state.

“These death threats directed at Donald Trump are unacceptable. This ‘leader’ is either completely ignorant of recent events, or is somehow fueling the violence that is destroying our political system,” Rankin said Friday in a post on X that included calls for Lang to resign. “Los Altos is perfect for leaders who bring the community together and focus on solutions.”

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

When a comment was received about the “86 47” post, Lang’s email address returned an automated reply indicating that he was “going away” until May 4. His “cover photo” on Facebook revealed that it had been changed on Friday.

Lang is the vice mayor of the Los Altos City Council and sits on more than half a dozen boards of directors. Fox News Digital also reached out to Los Altos city council members for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

“He must resign from the position of deputy mayor!” The secure social media account Libs of TikTok said after revealing the post.
Nick Poche, a spokesman for the Republican National Committee, added that Democrats “must quickly ditch their consistent rhetoric” or risk encouraging “paranoid” supporters who may wish to kill the president, as suspected in the recent White House Correspondents Dinner hacked by the Secret Service.

“We suggest that he resign to check in a mental hospital,” Poche said of Lang.

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey was indicted for a second time by the Justice Department last month, stemming from a May 2025 Instagram photo of an “86 47” shell formation on a beach — the same shell formation that appeared on Lang’s Facebook “cover photo” until it was removed.

In slang, often used in certain industries and cultures, “86” usually means to remove something. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is currently the 47th President of the United States.

Comey removed the post the day it was posted, saying he misinterpreted the shells as a general political message.

The former FBI director is charged with threatening to harm the president and spreading the threat of interstate commerce. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, according to the Department of Justice.

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