Comey’s Alleged Cryptic Trump Threat Gets Much, Much Worse
Former FBI Director James Comey Under Federal Investigation After Cryptic Post Allegedly Targeting Trump
Federal law enforcement has launched an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey following allegations he threatened violence against President Donald Trump in a social media post, officials confirmed Thursday.
The controversy erupted when Comey shared an image on Instagram showing seashells arranged to display the numbers “8647” – a combination that many interpreted as a veiled threat against the 47th president of the United States.
“86” can mean to throw out, remove, or in some contexts, kill, in American slang.
The “47” appears to reference President Trump’s position as the 47th U.S. president, leading numerous conservative officials and commentators to conclude Comey was calling for violence against Trump.
The Secret Service immediately took notice of the post.
“The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi stated.
“We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI Director and we take rhetoric like this very seriously.”
A federal law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed to USA TODAY that Secret Service agents were being dispatched to question Comey about the post, describing this as standard procedure for anyone posting what could be interpreted as a threat against a current or former president.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the investigation on social media platform X.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” Noem wrote.
“DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
Comey deleted the controversial post after it sparked outrage and later claimed ignorance of its potential violent interpretation.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey wrote in a follow-up statement, per Trending Politics (TP).
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich addressed the situation directly, stating that Comey’s message “can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States” and is “being taken seriously.”
Current FBI Director Kash Patel issued a statement acknowledging awareness of Comey’s post, confirming the bureau is “in communication with the Secret Service and Director (Sean) Curran” and will “provide all necessary support” to the investigation.
In an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard expressed skepticism about Comey’s claim of ignorance.
“That is a ridiculous and insane statement to make, certainly within this context, but especially coming from a guy who’s the former director of the FBI, a guy who spent most of his career prosecuting mobsters and gangsters, people who know and execute other humans, and use this exact lingo of 86,” Gabbard stated.
Gabbard further noted that Comey “admitted in his follow-on message that he knew that this was a political statement,” suggesting his familiarity with the terminology’s implications.
The incident occurs against a backdrop of heightened security concerns following two assassination attempts targeting Trump during his presidential campaign last year.
In July 2023, a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing Trump’s ear with a bullet and killing one attendee.
Two months later in September, authorities arrested a man who allegedly aimed a rifle at Trump while he was at his West Palm Beach golf course.
Comey and Trump have a contentious history dating back to 2017, when Trump fired Comey from his position as FBI Director.
The dismissal ultimately triggered Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation into allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, CBS News outlined.
Since his firing, Comey has been an outspoken critic of Trump, previously calling him “morally unfit” to be president in a 2018 interview.
The term “eighty-six” originated in 1930s soda counter slang, initially indicating an item was sold out.
In modern usage, it commonly means to “throw out” or “get rid of” something, and can refer to removing a person from an establishment or refusing service to them, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
WATCH:
James Comey just issued a call to action to murder the President of the United States.
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) May 16, 2025
As a former FBI Director and someone who spent most of his career prosecuting mobsters and gangsters, he knew exactly what he was doing and must be held accountable under the full force of the… pic.twitter.com/zvbu5Vf0zg