Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation after he posted a photo of shells in the sand arranged in the shape of the numbers 8647. This was read as a call to assassinate President Donald Trump.
Reuters writes about this.
James Comeyʼs now-deleted Instagram post. Caption: "Cool shells on my beach walk."
In the US, the number 86 can be used to mean “to throw someone out of a bar for drinking” or “a public nuisance”. According to Merriam-Webster, “86” as slang can mean “to get rid of someone”. And “47” is probably Trump himself, as he is the 47th president of the United States.
The US Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem said that Comey “just called for the assassination of Trump.” She said that the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are investigating the threat and “will respond appropriately”.
A Secret Service spokesman said the agency "thoroughly investigates anything that may be considered a potential threat to protected officials".
"We are aware of the former FBI directorʼs social media posts and take such rhetoric very seriously," the statement said.
Comey himself deleted this photo and published a new post.
"I previously posted a photo of shells I saw on a walk on the beach today that I assumed were a political message. I didnʼt realize that some people would associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I am against violence of any kind, so I deleted the post."
Trump’s critics began using “86” during his first term, according to The New York Times. A few weeks before the 2020 election, Trump’s campaign noticed a badge with the words “86 45” on it, which appeared on the desk behind Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer during an interview. The official was accused of “encouraging attempts to assassinate President Trump”.
- James Comey was FBI Director from 2013 to 2017, until he was fired by US President Donald Trump. Comey was a public critic of him. In 2020, Comey supported Joe Bidenʼs campaign during the presidential election, and in 2024, he supported Kamala Harrisʼ campaign, who was running for the Democratic Party.
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