Former FBI director James Comey removed an Instagram post featuring the numbers “8647” after facing backlash from Republicans, including Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem, who initiated an investigation into the matter.
In the now-deleted post, Comey shared a photo of a shell he found during a beach walk, describing it as a “cool shell formation.” However, Republican critics quickly interpreted the numbers as a threat to former President Donald Trump, since “86” is often associated with discarding something.
Following the uproar from figures like Trump’s senior advisers Dan Scavino Jr. and Donald Trump Jr., Comey took down the original post and clarified in a subsequent message that he didn’t “realize” the possible implications of the numbers.
He mentioned, “I posted some photos of some shells from my beach walk earlier. I never thought this was political and couldn’t link these numbers to any form of violence, so I deleted it.”
Before removing the post, Trump Jr. expressed on X that Comey’s actions seemed to suggest a call for his father’s harm. Meanwhile, Scavino Jr. criticized Comey, labeling him a “POS” and questioning whether he was genuinely unaware of the post’s potential meaning.
Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk also weighed in, stating Comey’s post was cringe-worthy, comparing it to something a middle-aged person might post on social media without much thought.
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene queried on X whether more Democrats were attempting to create threats against Trump.
Noem commented that Comey implied a threat against the 47th president and would ensure both the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service addressed the situation properly.
FBI Director Kash Patel noted that the agency was aware of the communications regarding the post, indicating that the Secret Service holds primary jurisdiction in such matters, while the FBI would offer its support.
As for Trump, he has yet to respond to Comey’s posts. This week, he is out of the country, reportedly engaging in discussions in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing tensions surrounding his 2024 campaign, which has already faced two assassination attempts.
