A social media put up has dragged former FBI director James Comey right into a maelstrom of accusations from critics that he known as for the assassination of United States President Donald Trump.
Comey, a fierce Trump critic, denied in a press release that the picture he took and shared on Instagram was a name for violence, including that “I oppose violence of any form.” He has since taken down the picture in query.
His rebuttal has, nevertheless, achieved little to calm Trump’s supporters, with the nation’s Homeland Safety Division and the Secret Service asserting on Thursday that they had been investigating the incident.
Right here’s a breakdown of what occurred:
What did Comey Put up?
Comey shared an Instagram picture on Thursday exhibiting seashells on a seashore organized within the numbers “86 47”.
“Cool shell formation on my seashore stroll,” his caption learn.
Critics had been fast to level out that the quantity “86” refers to previous US slang that refers to “eliminating” one thing, or “eradicating one thing”. The slang was extremely in use in eating places again within the Nineteen Thirties, and normally signalled to waiters and prospects that an merchandise on a menu was offered out and couldn’t be offered.
The “47”, they declare, refers to Trump’s present time period in workplace because the forty seventh president of the US.
Comey, on the identical day, took the picture down. In a separate Instagram put up, the previous intelligence boss defined that he took the picture whereas “on a seashore stroll, which I assumed had been a political message”.
“I didn’t realise some of us affiliate these numbers with violence. It by no means occurred to me, however I oppose violence of any form, so I took the put up down,” he mentioned.
The hashtag #8647 has beforehand, and as early as March, appeared on social media websites like TikTok amongst posters criticising Trump and calling for his removing. It has come to symbolize a silent code for opposing the president.
What have Trump’s allies mentioned?
Trump’s supporters on social media channels have denounced Comey’s put up, calling it a name for the president’s “assassination”.
Simply James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered.
That is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!! pic.twitter.com/4LUK6crHAT
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) Might 15, 2025
President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr on Thursday mentioned in an X put up that Comey had “casually known as for my dad to be murdered”, including that the put up was “demented”.
Grok, a conversational AI assistant on the Elon Musk-owned social media web site, responding to feedback from X customers asking for clarification on the which means of the numbers, mentioned it was “mainly a sneaky approach of claiming “eliminate Trump”. Nonetheless, the assistant additionally added that the numbers don’t “inherently imply assassinate Trump” however somewhat they suggest “political removing”.
Talking on Fox Information, Nationwide Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard mentioned she didn’t settle for that Comey was unaware of the violent interpretation of “86 47”. Gabbard mentioned Comey “ought to be held accountable and put behind bars for this”.
Republican Congressman Andy Ogles mentioned he despatched a letter to US intelligence businesses calling for an investigation into Comey’s “disturbing” put up to see if the previous intelligence boss had violated two federal legal guidelines – threatening the president and interstate sharing of threatening communication.
Ogles additionally demanded affirmation on whether or not Comey nonetheless has entry to labeled materials due to his earlier position as FBI director.
“If Comey broke the legislation, he shouldn’t get a move. He ought to be in handcuffs,” Ogles wrote on X.
In the meantime, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem in an X put up mentioned the matter was already being investigated by US intelligence authorities.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey simply known as for the assassination of @POTUS Trump. DHS and Secret Service is investigating this risk and can reply appropriately,” she posted.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed on X that his company will assist the investigation and “present all obligatory assist”.
White Home Deputy Chief of Workers James Blair mentioned Comey’s put up was a name to “terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the US as he travels within the Center East”.
“Any Democrat or Media Outlet who fails to sentence this clear Incitement of Violence is complicit and should be described as such.”
What’s Comey and Trump’s previous relationship?
Comey was appointed by former President Barack Obama. Earlier than the 2016 election, Comey investigated Hillary Clinton’s use of personal e mail servers throughout her time as secretary of state. Many Democrats argue that this investigation, on the eve of the vote, value her the election, wherein Clinton was the occasion’s nominee in opposition to Trump.
However Comey additionally led the FBI’s investigation into alleged Russian interference within the 2016 presidential elections, and was fired in 2017 by Trump early in his first time period in workplace.
Comey had testified to Congress that Russia did intrude within the 2016 elections. The administration’s official purpose for firing him was that Comey was “ineffective”, referring to dissatisfaction with the Clinton investigation, which finally ended with out the politician being charged.
The most important sticking level between Trump and Comey, in accordance with analysts, was Comey’s concentrate on the Russia concern and his refusal to state in public that Trump and his Trump Organisation weren’t personally being investigated.
Comey started vocally criticising Trump following his dismissal, calling him “morally unfit” to be president and a risk to the norms of democracy in his 2018 memoir, A Increased Loyalty.
