After James Comey posted a photo of seashells carefully arranged on the beach, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote, “DHS and Secret Service [are] investigating this threat and will respond appropriately”
- Former FBI Director James Comey posted a photo on May 15 of seashells arranged into the number “8647” on social media.
- Trump officials are treating the now-deleted post as an assassination threat, because of what “86” and “47” could be interpreted to mean in succession.
- Trump removed Comey from his FBI post in 2017 after the former director oversaw an investigation into whether the president’s 2016 campaign had ties to Russia.
Former FBI Director James Comey shared a cryptic photo of seashells on social media, and the Trump administration is treating it as a call for violence.
On May 15, Comey — a conservative attorney who led the FBI from 2013 until Donald Trump removed him in 2017 — posted then deleted a photo of seashells arranged in the sand to depict the number “8647,” per The Independent.
In response, two of Trump’s senior officials made statements asserting that the message was a threat toward the president.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of [President] Trump. DHS and Secret Service [are] investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a post on X.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in his own post: “We are 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 on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.”
The message behind the number “8647” is being drawn from the possible individual meanings of “86” and “47.”
The first number, according to Merriam-Webster, is a slang term that means “to eject, dismiss, or remove (someone),” whereas 47 could be representative of Trump, the 47th president of the United States.
Put together, Trump officials are interpreting the numbers as a call to oust the president — but while Noem characterized it as an “assassination” threat, there are lawful means to remove a president as well, like through an impeachment trial or invoking the 25th Amendment.