Former FBI Director James Comey is facing a federal investigation after he posted an image that U.S. officials say appeared to call for the assassination of President Donald Trump.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that federal law enforcement is reviewing Comey’s Instagram post showing a photo of seashells with the caption “cool shell formation on my beach walk,” which showed an arrangement of shells into the numbers “86 47.”
Trump administration officials, including Noem, interpreted the message as a reference to kill Trump, the 47th president.
The term “86” is commonly understood as slang for removing or discarding something, potentially through violence or even murder.
“The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service are investigating this threat and will respond accordingly,” Noem stated.
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Comey has since removed the post and offered clarification, claiming he was unaware that the numbers could be associated with violent connotations. “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,” Comey wrote in a follow-up statement. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
The image drew swift backlash from conservatives online, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of encouraging violence against his father.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed he had seen the post and was coordinating with the Secret Service and its leadership.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political, and public affairs, commented on the timing of the post, highlighting its potential implications as President Trump travels 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 posted on X.
Comey led the FBI from 2013 until his dismissal by Trump during his first term in 2017.
