Ex-FBI Chief James Comey Investigated Over Seashell Photo Seen as Threat to Trump

The U.S. Secret Service is investigating former FBI Director James Comey following a now-deleted Instagram post that some Republicans have described as a veiled threat against former President Donald Trump.

Comey, who led the FBI from 2013 to 2017, posted a photo of seashells arranged to spell out the numbers “8647,” captioned simply: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

While seemingly innocuous, critics quickly drew connections to coded messaging, arguing the numbers carried violent undertones.

According to Merriam-Webster, the slang term “86” can mean to reject, eliminate, or even kill. Paired with “47”—a reference to Trump as the 47th U.S. president—some Republican officials interpreted the post as a suggestion to “get rid of” or “kill” Trump.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly condemned the post on social media platform X, accusing Comey of inciting violence.

“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of Trump,” Noem wrote. She confirmed that her department, in coordination with the Secret Service, was launching an investigation.

Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said the agency takes such matters seriously:

“We vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees. We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI Director and we take rhetoric like this very seriously.”

Comey, who deleted the post after the backlash, claimed the message was misinterpreted.

“I assumed they were just a cool shell formation. I didn’t realize 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,” he clarified in a follow-up message.

Still, the controversy has drawn sharp criticism from Trump’s allies. Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino accused Comey of issuing “a plea to bad actors/terrorists to assassinate the POTUS,” referencing Trump’s ongoing trip through the Middle East.

Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also weighed in, posting: “James Comey causally [sic] calling for my dad to be murdered.”

Current FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the situation, noting the bureau was aware of the post and was working with the Secret Service on the matter.

“Primary jurisdiction is with the Secret Service, but we will provide all necessary support,” he said in a statement.

Comey’s tenure at the FBI was marked by political turbulence, including the controversial investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and his firing by Trump amid the Russia probe in 2017.

Trump, who is seeking a return to the White House, survived two assassination attempts last year. The latest uproar over Comey’s post adds another layer of tension to an already volatile political climate.

The Secret Service has not confirmed whether formal charges or further action will be taken.