Former FBI director James Comey found himself in hot water after authorities revealed he was being investigated for suggesting that President Donald Trump ‘should be assassinated.’
Comey had posted a puzzling image on his Instagram account, showing a display of shells forming the words ’86 47,’ which he promptly took down.
The post immediately sparked mass outrage among Republications and MAGA loyalists, prompting an investigation from the FBI and Secret Service.
Shortly after Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem announced the investigation, Comey released a statement claiming ignorance about the true meaning behind his post.
‘I posted a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,’ he wrote.
‘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.’Â
But his apology sank like a lead balloon on Thursday evening as officials railed against the suggestion that he didn’t understand the message.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said: ‘That is a ridiculous and insane statement to make. Coming from a guy who is the former director of the FBI.
‘For Comey to think that we the American people, that he as a former FBI director, former prosecutor, would believe his lie that he didn’t know what this was calling for. The dangerousness of this cannot be understated.’
Others agreed with Gabbard, arguing the messaging of 86 47 has been widely understood in political circles since Trump returned to office.
The phrase has also featured on signs and posters at protests around the nation.
Critics said Comey’s denial also does not make sense, given he admitted that he knew it was a politically charged message.
Others have also questioned whether there is any truth to his argument that he simply stumbled upon the shells already in that formation on a beach, and chose to take a snap without fully understanding what it meant.
Gabbard argued that Comey’s status as a former figure of authority meant his message put Trump at further risk and could have been interpreted as a call to arms.Â
‘I’m very concerned for the President’s life, and James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this,’ she said.
Gabbard argued that a man in Georgia issued a threat against her life earlier this year, and that ‘today, he’s in jail. As he should be.
‘Whatever his [Comey’s] intent, he and people like him need to be held to account according to the law. Â
‘The rule of law says people like him who issue direct threats against the President of the United States, essentially issuing a call to assassinate him, must be held accountable.’
That specific combination of numbers has been linked to the assassination of Trump and a ‘quiet resistance.’Â
The number 86 is considered slang for ‘to kill or murder’ within some circles, in an apparent reference to a standard sized grave being eight feet long and six feet deep.
Trump is the 47th president, so some anti-Trump groups use the two numbers together to indicate that Trump should be assassinated.
Supporters of Comey argue the 86 slang simply means to ‘throw out’, ‘veto’, or ‘discard’, and that the message in the sand simply means Trump should be ‘thrown out or impeached.’
They note a similar phrase, 86 46, was used on merchandise by Republicans rallying against 46th President Joe Biden.
Noem exploded at Comey on X within hours of the post, amid mounting fury from MAGA loyalists.
‘Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of President Trump,’ she wrote.
‘DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.’
Comey swiftly deleted the Instagram photo, but not before it was seized upon and shared widely among right-wing X accounts.
Trump’s son Don Jr. weighed in on Thursday, expressing shock over the post.
He wrote:Â Just James Comey causally [sic] calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!’
Trump ally and newly appointed FBI chief Kash Patel also addressed the scandal, writing: ‘We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump.Â
‘We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.’
During his bid for re-election, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear.
Authorities also foiled an assassination plan backed by Iran just months later.Â
White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich noted that the ‘hit’ on Trump came at a sensitive time, as he negotiates with foreign actors in the Middle East.Â
‘While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East, the former FBI Director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States—a message etched in the sand,’ he wrote on X.Â
‘This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.’Â
Right-wing commentator Meghan McCain wrote on X: ‘Don’t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump.
‘James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill?’
As of Thursday night, ‘Comey’ was the top trending word in the United States on X with 213,000 recent posts using the name.Â
Comey served as the director of the FBI from 2013 until he was fired by Trump in 2017. In response, Comey arranged for memos from a private meeting he had previously had with Trump to be leaked to the press.
Following the decision to terminate him, Comey sent out an email to staff which read: ‘I have long believed that a president can fire an FBI director for any reason, or for no reason at all.Â
‘I’m not going to spend time on the decision or the way it was executed. I hope you won’t either. It is done, and I will be fine, although I will miss you and the mission deeply.’
