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Republicans in swing state New Hampshire are criticizing the move by a Democratic congressional candidate to post a photo of herself next to an “86 47” sign, which some in the GOP see as a shorthand message suggesting violence against President Donald Trump.
Maura Sullivan, a former Marine Corps officer who deployed in the Iraq War and later served at the Pentagon and the Veterans Administration under former President Barack Obama, attended a “No Kings” protest this past weekend in her hometown of Portsmouth, N.H. Demonstrators at thousands of rallies nationwide on Saturday protested what they call the president’s anti-democratic actions and authoritarian tendencies.
Sullivan, while at the rally, posted on social media a photo of herself standing next to a fellow veteran who was holding a sign that read “Veterans for Democracy.”
But the sign also included the phrase “Foxtrot Delta Tango,” as well as the message “86 47.”
“Foxtrot Delta Tango” is a military-style phrase in the NATO phonetic alphabet that spells out the letters “FDT,” which is seen as a derogatory term towards Trump.
While “86” is a term long used in restaurants to signify when they are out of a food item on a menu, or in bars or military circles to get rid of something – or someone.
And of late, some Republicans perceive it as a message to have Trump eliminated.
The Secret Service continues to investigate former FBI director James Comey after he earlier this year posted on social media an image of seashells arranged to spell “86 47.”
Comey, following a conservative uproar, took down his post and apologized.
The social media post by Sullivan, one of two top Democrats running to succeed Rep. Chris Pappas in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District, came hours after the horrific shootings of two leading Minnesota Democratic state lawmakers – one of them fatal.
State Rep. Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota state House, and her spouse were killed, and Sen. John Hoffman and his spouse were severely wounded in the shootings, which appear to be politically motivated attacks.
Sullivan’s congressional campaign, in a statement to Fox News, pointed to the Minnesota shootings.
“Maura is outraged and heartbroken about the assassination of a public servant in Minnesota. She believes that there is absolutely no place for violence in our politics, regardless of party or affiliation,” Sullivan campaign manager Nick London said.
London added that on Saturday, “Maura joined thousands of Granite Staters and millions of Americans in peacefully protesting Donald Trump’s use of our servicemembers as props for his political agenda. If the President cared about our veterans, he would be focused on improving healthcare at the VA, expanding mental health services and supporting our military families.”
Republicans in New Hampshire quickly criticized Sullivan over her post.
“I knew Maura was cozying up with the extreme radical left, but this is a step too far. Calls for political violence like this have no place in New Hampshire,” New Hampshire GOP chair Jim MacEachern said in a statement.
And NHGOP vice chair Hollie Novoletsky, who came in second in the 2024 GOP congressional primary in the 1st District, said in a statement, “Whether the target of an assassination is President Trump or a Democrat State Rep in MN, it is unacceptable. You’d think as a ‘Veteran for Democracy,’ Maura would know that.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), the campaign arm of the House GOP, which is trying to flip the district for the first time in eight years, went further.
“Political violence has no place in our country – and posing with propaganda calling for the assassination of President Trump is dangerous and disqualifying,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole argued. “Maura Sullivan must apologize, take down the photo, and take herself out of the running for New Hampshire’s First Congressional District.”
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