The U.S. Secret Service has launched an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey after a now-deleted Instagram post sparked allegations that he was calling for violence against former President Donald Trump.
Comey, who was dismissed by Trump during his first term in office, shared a photo on Instagram showing seashells arranged to form the numbers “8647.” The post was captioned, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
The post quickly gained attention due to the perceived hidden message behind the numbers. In slang, “86” is often used to mean getting rid of or eliminating something, while “47” refers to Trump being the 47th President of the United States. Critics interpreted the image as a coded call for Trump's assassination.
Donald Trump Jr. reacted strongly on social media, writing: “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich echoed the concern, stating on X (formerly Twitter):
“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. This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas also weighed in, questioning whether there could be “any other reasonable explanation” for the post besides a call for violence.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Secret Service is now involved in reviewing the matter.
