Ex-FBI Director James Comey Investigated Over Controversial ‘8647’ Seashell Post Linked to Threat Against Trump
Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation by the Secret Service after posting a now-deleted Instagram photo featuring seashells arranged to spell out the number “8647.” The post, captioned “Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” sparked controversy because Republicans interpreted the numbers as a coded threat against President Donald Trump.
The number 86 is slang with multiple meanings, including “to reject” or “to get rid of,” and more recently, it has been interpreted as a euphemism for “to kill.” Trump is the 47th President of the United States, which led some to allege that the combination “8647” was a call to assassinate him.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly condemned the post, stating that Comey had “just called for the assassination of Trump.” White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and Donald Trump Jr., echoed these accusations, calling the post a “plea to bad actors/terrorists” and a casual call for murder.
The Secret Service confirmed it is taking the matter seriously, with spokesman Anthony Guglielmi stating, “We vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees.” The agency is coordinating with the FBI, which is providing support but has deferred primary jurisdiction to the Secret Service.
Comey responded by deleting the post and clarifying his intentions. He said he had not realized the numbers could be interpreted as a violent message and emphasized his opposition to any form of violence. “I assumed [the sea shells] were a political message,” he said, adding, “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey, who served as FBI Director from 2013 to 2017, has long been a polarizing figure, particularly for his role in the 2016 investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails, which many believe affected the outcome of that year’s presidential election. The incident adds another chapter to the fraught relationship between Comey and Trump’s political circle, especially given Trump survived two assassination attempts last year.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities assess whether Comey’s post crossed legal lines or was merely an ill-advised political statement.
