Former FBI Director James Comey found himself at the center of a firestorm after posting a photo to Instagram that many interpreted as a cryptic threat against President Donald Trump. The image, which featured the numbers “86” and “47” spelled out in seashells, was widely interpreted online to mean “get rid of the 47th president.”
The post quickly drew condemnation from across the political spectrum, with Donald Trump Jr. saying, “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered.” Other prominent voices, including Senator Marsha Blackburn and Meghan McCain, questioned why a former top federal official would post something so provocative and potentially dangerous, especially considering the history of assassination attempts against President Trump.
Senator Tommy Tuberville called it a “direct THREAT” and said Comey “MUST face consequences.” FBI Director Kash Patel responded to the uproar, confirming that the Bureau is “aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey” and that it was coordinating with the Secret Service, which holds jurisdiction over such threats.
Comey later deleted the image and issued a statement claiming ignorance. He said he merely “assumed [the shells] were a political message” and did not realize the numbers were commonly associated with violent rhetoric. “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he wrote.
That explanation didn’t satisfy critics. Commentator Greg Price mocked the claim, saying it was implausible that a former FBI director would be unaware of the implications. “Yes, I’m sure the guy who once ran the FBI was just clueless on this one,” he quipped.
