A viral Alpha News post about an “8647” crop art display at the Minnesota State Fair has managed to rile up just about everyone — from supporters of President Donald Trump to Minnesota media outlets taking aim at Alpha News for reporting on it.
The photo showed the entry exactly as it appeared to fairgoers — yellow beans arranged to form “8647,” with red beans appearing to drip from the numbers.
It also included the artist’s name, Tamara Sawyer, and city of residence, St. Paul, which fair organizers displayed directly underneath the artwork.
Collin posted the photo on X with a fairgoer’s reaction and noted that Alpha News had contacted the State Fair for comment. The post quickly went viral.
Days later, the artwork was reportedly removed at the artist’s request.
Social media accounts subsequently pointed to payroll records showing a Tamara Sawyer has worked for the state for more than a decade.
Alpha News reached out by phone and email to that state employee but did not receive a response. A LinkedIn profile belonging to the state employee was made private within hours of Collin’s post.
SUBMITTED: Minnesota State Fair seed art includes an “8647” entry.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it, but there it was on day one for thousands of people to see,” the tipster said.
When it was reported to the fair, the person was told “it follows freedom of speech… pic.twitter.com/T2OeUXWu1d
— Liz Collin (@lizcollin) August 28, 2026
Minnesota media outlets quickly turned their attention to allegations that the artist had been doxxed, threatened and forced to leave the state, with coverage drawing a connection between Collin’s viral post and the artwork’s removal.
Both the Minnesota Star Tribune and Bring Me The News described Alpha News not as a news organization but as a “conservative website” — a label that tells readers less about the reporting than about the box they would prefer to keep Alpha News in.
There’s just one problem: The box isn’t holding. Alpha News’ surging growth and expanding reach have been fueled by reporting Minnesota stories legacy media too often treat lightly or ignore altogether.
With the labels out of the way, the Minnesota Star Tribune referred to the “8647” crop art simply as a “veiled critique of President Donald Trump.”
Bring Me The News went a step further, taking it upon itself to settle the meaning of “8647” for everyone.
“Eighty-six is a term commonly used in bars and restaurants as shorthand for ‘remove’ when an item is no longer available or that a person should be removed from the premises. Trump is the 47th president of the United States,” the outlet explained.
Case closed, apparently.
The reporter went further, stating that the use of “8647” has grown among Trump’s opponents during his second term before claiming that “right-wing commentators have been attempting to alter the meaning of the term to suggest it’s a call for the president to be assassinated.”
In other words, Bring Me The News didn’t merely offer one interpretation of a disputed expression. It presented that interpretation as the explanation, and portrayed those raising the possibility of a more sinister meaning as attempting to manufacture one.
WCCO also joined the effort to explain what “8647” really means, telling readers that the “Merriam-Webster dictionary describes “86” as “slang meaning ‘to throw out’ or ‘get rid of,'” and Mr. Trump is the country’s 47th president.”
Apparently, federal prosecutors were working from a different dictionary when they indicted former FBI Director James Comey over his “8647” post, alleging it constituted a threat against the president.
The indictment alleges Comey knowingly and willfully made “a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” President Trump by posting “8647.” Comey’s attorneys have rejected that interpretation.
Media point to ‘Fauci Lied’
Blois Olson criticized Alpha News for not including the separate “Fauci Lied” entry displayed below “8647,” arguing that the seed art deserved to be viewed “in its entirety.”
But proximity does not make two separate entries equivalent.
“Fauci Lied” is a straightforward accusation about the conduct of former White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci. Its meaning is not ambiguous, nor does the phrase suggest physical harm against Fauci.
“8647” is controversial for an entirely different reason. The expression has been at the center of a national debate over whether it conveys a threat against the president — an interpretation serious enough to become part of a federal criminal case involving a former FBI director.
Trump has been the target of three assassination attempts or alleged plots since 2024, including the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooting in which a bullet struck his ear and rallygoer Corey Comperatore was killed. Another attempt was thwarted near Trump’s Florida golf course in 2024, and federal prosecutors charged a man with attempting to assassinate the president after an incident outside the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in Washington in April 2026.
Largely absent from the coverage, however, was a basic fact: The crop art was entered into a public competition and displayed at the Minnesota State Fair for thousands of visitors to see. The State Fair itself displayed the artist’s name and city of residence alongside the artwork — information visible to anyone who walked through the exhibit.
Collin’s post showed the crop art exactly as it appeared to fairgoers.
Whatever conclusion readers reach about “8647,” Collin’s post did what journalism is supposed to do: It showed the public what was on display at the Minnesota State Fair and allowed readers to judge it for themselves.
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
