Former FBI director James Comey is being investigated by the Secret Service over a now deleted cryptic social media post which has been interpreted as an incitement to violence against US President Donald Trump. Comey, who was fired by Trump during his first term, has deleted the post after he faced severe backlash from Republicans and members of Congress.

Taking to Instagram, Comey had shared a photo of seashells on a beach arranged in a way to represent the numbers “8647”. He captioned the photo as: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

The number 86 is a slang term whose definitions include ‘to reject’ or ‘to get rid of’, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which also notes that it has more recently been used as a term meaning ‘to kill’. Trump being the 47th US president, the post 8647 was interpreted as a threat to his life. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleged the message was a call for the assassination of Trump.

Following allegations by Republicans, Comey deleted the post.

The incident comes months after Trump was left with an injury in his ear during an assassination attempt that took place in his rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.

I oppose violence of any kind: James Comey

After the controversy started, Comey, who is a fierce critic of Trump, offered an explanation saying he did not realise the image could be interpreted as a threat and hence deleted his post.

“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,” he said.

James Comey served as the FBI’s director between 2013-17. He had a tumultuous tenure that included overseeing the high-profile inquiry into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton’s email just weeks before the 2016 election that she ended up losing to Trump, says a BBC report. He was fired by Trump amid an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

FBI Director Kash Patel responds

US President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts last year. Responding to the ongoing controversy, current FBI Director Kash Patel shared on social media, saying that the bureau was “aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump.”
“We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS [Secret Service] on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.”

Donald Trump Jr alleges murder threat, US officials criticise Comey

The post was first flagged by Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr, who accused the former FBI director of “casually calling for my dad to be murdered”. Several Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, have called for an investigation.

“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of Trump. DHS and Secret Service are investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem tweeted.

White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich said Trump’s presidency has left the “deep state desperate and dangerous”.

“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,” Budowich said.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the post cannot be underestimated. “The dangerousness of this cannot be underestimated. We have had two assassination attempts on the President’s life,” she said.