An Air Force veteran running for Congress has challenged the Justice Department to arrest him after former FBI Director James Comey faced indictment for displaying the numbers 86 47, which critics of President Trump have adopted as a symbol of opposition to his presidency.

Campaign Merchandise Becomes Political Flashpoint

Mark Davis, an unaffiliated candidate running in Florida’s 16th congressional district, drives around with an 8647 license plate and sells hats and shirts featuring the numbers on his campaign website. Following the DOJ’s indictment of Comey for posting a photo of seashells arranged as 86 47 on Instagram, Davis posted his own photo wearing campaign merchandise alongside his license plate. He told NBC News he has no intention of backing down from using the numbers.

Davis stated he plans to wear his 86 47 merchandise every day until the congressional election. The numbers have become a rallying call among Trump opponents, with 86 referring to getting rid of something and 47 representing Trump’s number as the 47th president. Davis dismissed concerns about the phrase as silly, describing 86 as a restaurant term rather than anything threatening.

Justice Department Pursues Criminal Charges

The Justice Department indicted Comey for the second time this past week over the Instagram post. President Trump has characterized the numbers as a mob term meaning to kill someone, while Comey has denied posting the photo as any message of violence. This marks Comey’s second indictment by the Trump administration. The first came last year on accusations of lying to Congress, though a federal judge dismissed that case, ruling the prosecutor was unlawfully appointed.

Widespread Merchandise Sales Continue

Davis is far from alone in selling 86 47 merchandise. Amazon offers hundreds of shirts with variations of the numbers for as little as ten dollars. Websites including Redbubble and Etsy sell stickers, hats, posters and other variations of the phrase. The widespread commercial availability of the merchandise raises questions about the scope of any potential enforcement action by the Justice Department. Davis told NBC News that millions of Americans share his frustration with the current administration and refuse to stay quiet despite potential legal consequences.