In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday that federal law enforcement is looking into a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey. Republicans, including Noem, believe the post may be urging violence against President Donald Trump.
In an Instagram post, Comey wrote “cool shell formation on my beach walk” under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for “86 47.”
Officials from the Trump administration, with Noem among them, have accused Comey of calling for President Trump, the 47th president, to be assassinated. “The DHS and Secret Service are investigating this threat and will take appropriate measures,” Noem stated.
According to Merriam-Webster, the dictionary referenced by The Associated Press, “86” is informal slang meaning “to discard,” “to remove,” or “to deny service.” It further explains: “A more recent interpretation of this term involves the implication of ‘to kill.’ We have not included this definition due to its recent origin and infrequent usage.”
The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, “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 realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.
“It never occurred to me,” Comey added, “but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Comey’s original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father’s killing.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was conferring with the Secret Service and its director.
James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that Trump is traveling in the Middle East.
“This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East,” Blair wrote on X.
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the president’s first term amid the bureau’s probe into allegations of ties between Russian officials and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his career in the best-selling memoir “A Higher Loyalty.”
He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, “FDR Drive,” which is being released on Tuesday.
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