Comey Under Fire for “86 47” Post Seen as Veiled Threat Against Trump

(TJV) Former FBI Director James Comey is facing backlash after sharing — and swiftly deleting — a cryptic Instagram post that many interpreted as a veiled threat against President Donald Trump.

WOW!

Former FBI Director James Comey @Comey just posted this on his Instagram 2 hours ago, with the caption “cool shell formation on my beach walk”. It’s a pic of shells in the form of “86 47”.

This is a call for the assassination of President Trump by the former FBI Director! pic.twitter.com/Q4qIBbvvmt

— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 15, 2025

The post featured a photo of seashells arranged to resemble the numbers “86 47.” While “86” can be slang for “eliminate” and “47” may reference Trump as the 47th president, Comey claimed the meaning was misunderstood.

Critics pounced, suggesting the post subtly encouraged violence. Comey, in a follow-up, said he simply thought the shell arrangement was a “political message,” and was unaware the numbers had any violent connotation. “I oppose violence of any kind,” he wrote, explaining his decision to take it down.

Disgraced former FBI Director James @Comey is calling for President Trump to be eliminated.

cc: @FBIDirectorKash @FBIDDBongino pic.twitter.com/4R0s1Eo4Z4

— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) May 15, 2025

Current FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed his agency was aware of the post and had contacted the Secret Service, which holds primary jurisdiction over threats to the president.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) also weighed in, calling for Comey to clarify the post’s intent, especially in light of past assassination attempts on Trump. “James Comey is posting cryptic messages alluding to getting rid of President Trump,” she posted. “Would he like to explain what he means?”