James Comey is under investigation for a seashell photo showing “8647,” seen by some as a coded threat against Trump.
Former FBI chief James Comey is under investigation by the Secret Service for sharing an image of seashells arranged to display the numbers ‘8647,’ which some interpret as incitement to violence against Trump.
“Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” wrote Comey.
The post on Instagram was later deleted.
Trump administration fired Comey in 2017, most likely for his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Now the former FBI chief faces MAGA backlash after his post.
DHS Secretary Noem confirmed the Secret Service is investigating.
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”. And Trump is the 47th US president.
Comey insisted he did not know what the numbers meant, but Trump has disputed that.
Comey said he found the seashells already arranged as “8647” and assumed it was a political message. Critics, including Trump allies, claim it’s a coded threat, with “86” meaning “get rid of” and “47” referencing Trump as the 47th president. Merriam-Webster notes “86” can imply removal, and some modern uses suggest violence. Comey now faces a federal investigation, according to White House officials, as Republicans argue the photo signals a threat to Trump.
Comey later explained that he “assumed the seashells were a political message.”
“I didn’t realise some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he added. “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.” he added.
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