by Temitope Oladeji
16/5/2025
Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation by the U.S. Secret Service after his now-deleted Instagram post sparked accusations from Republican politicians, who claimed it contained a veiled call for violence against President Donald Trump.
Comey had shared an image on Instagram of seashells arranged to form the number “8647,” with the caption: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Critics quickly seized on the number’s potential double meaning. In slang, “86” can mean “to eliminate” or “kill,” and “47” is commonly associated with Trump as the 47th president.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem publicly alleged that the post was an incitement to assassinate Trump.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of Trump,” Noem wrote on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that the Department of Homeland Security and Secret Service were investigating the matter.
Comey responded by deleting the post and clarifying his intent. “I assumed [the seashells] were a political message,” he said.
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down.”
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the agency is examining the incident. “We vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” he said in a statement posted on X.
He further said, “We are aware of the former FBI director’s social media posts, and we take rhetoric like this very seriously.”
The FBI also acknowledged the controversy. Director Kash Patel said the bureau is “aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump,” adding that it was in communication with the Secret Service and ready to assist.
The incident comes as President Trump remains under Secret Service protection following two attempted attacks last year.
The president is currently on an international tour, including stops in the Middle East.
The backlash from conservative voices was swift and fierce. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino accused Comey of issuing “a plea to bad actors/terrorists to assassinate the POTUS while traveling internationally.”
Donald Trump Jr. echoed the claim, posting: “James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered.”
Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until 2017, when he was dismissed by President Trump during his first tenure amid an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
His tenure was marked by controversy, particularly his decision to reopen the probe into Hillary Clinton’s email use shortly before the 2016 election.
Authorities have not made any formal accusations against Comey, and the investigation remains ongoing.