California Vice Mayor Larry Lang Faces Backlash for Controversial ’86 47′ Comment on State GOP Post

The California Republican Party’s chairperson, along with other conservative figures on social media, is urging Larry Lang, the vice mayor of Los Altos, California, to step down. This comes after Lang repeatedly posted “86 47” on social media, notably responding with it to a post by the state Republican Party on Facebook.

Though Lang has since deleted these posts, screenshots shared by the California Republican Party and examined by Fox News Digital reveal that Lang had changed his Facebook cover image to a “86 47” seashell arrangement. This same imagery was linked to the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey in federal court last month for making threats against the president.

Additionally, Lang commented “86 47” on a California Republican Party Facebook post earlier in the week. The post included a news clip featuring California GOP Chairperson Corrin Rankin, who discussed a recent debate among the state’s gubernatorial candidates. Rankin criticized Democrats for lacking solutions and suggested Californians are eager for change after 16 years under Democratic leadership.

Rankin condemned the post as a death threat against Donald Trump, labeling it unacceptable. She questioned whether Lang was ignorant of current events or actively contributing to political violence. In a post on X, she demanded Lang’s resignation, asserting that Los Altos deserves leaders who foster unity and prioritize solutions.

The California GOP echoed Rankin’s sentiments, urging Democrats to cease advocating violence against Donald Trump and Republicans.

When reached for comment about the “86 47” posts, Lang’s email address returned an automatic response indicating he was “traveling” until May 4. His Facebook “cover photo” indicated it had been changed Friday.

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

“He needs to resign as vice mayor!” conservative social media account Libs of TikTok said after uncovering the posts.
Nick Poche, spokesperson with the Republican National Committee, added that Democrats “must immediately dial back their unhinged rhetoric” or risk encouraging “deranged” supporters who might wish to kill the president, such as the suspect from the recent White House Correspondents Dinner shooting that was stymied by the Secret Service.  

“We suggest he resign to check into 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, which stemmed from a May 2025 Instagram photo of an “86 47” shell formation on a beach — the same shell formation that appeared in Lang’s Facebook “cover photo” until it was deleted.

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

Comey removed the post the same day it was uploaded, claiming he had misinterpreted the shells as a general political message.

The former FBI director is facing charges of making threats to harm the president and transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.

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