US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating an Instagram post by former FBI Director James Comey, which she and other Republicans allege is a veiled threat against President Donald Trump. Comey posted a photo of seashells arranged to resemble the numbers “86 47,” with the caption: “cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Many Trump allies, including Noem, claim the numbers imply a call for Trump’s assassination, with “86” interpreted as slang for “to kill” and “47” referencing Trump’s status as the 47th president. Noem wrote: “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
Merriam-Webster notes that “86” can mean “to get rid of” or “refuse service to,” and more recently, “to kill”—though the latter is not officially defined due to its limited and newer usage.
Comey deleted the post and later 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 realise 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.”
The post sparked a wave of criticism from conservatives on social media. Donald Trump Jr. accused Comey of calling for his father’s killing, while FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the controversy and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, said the timing of the post was especially troubling, as Mr Trump is currently travelling in the Middle East.
Blair wrote on X: “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.”
Comey served as FBI director from 2013 to 2017, before being fired by Mr Trump during the agency’s investigation into alleged ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The two have had a notably testy relationship ever since. Comey is now a crime fiction author, with his latest book, FDR Drive, set for release on Tuesday, and he has not held back in his criticism of the 78-year-old since leaving his post.
Express.co.uk has contacted the White House for comment.