In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that federal law enforcement is looking into a post on social media which was made by former FBI Director James Comey. This post has been suggested by Noem and other Republicans as potentially inciting violence against President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Various officials from the Trump administration, including Noem, have raised concerns that Comey’s post could be interpreted as a call for the assassination of the 47th president. Noem mentioned that the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service are investigating the perceived threat and will take appropriate action.
According to the dictionary Merriam-Webster, the term “86” is slang that can mean different things like “to eliminate,” “to discard,” or “to deny service to.” Interestingly, one of the newer meanings of this slang term is “to kill.” However, this particular sense is not officially recognized by the dictionary yet due to its recent emergence and limited usage.
The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.
“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”
He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.
Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
