James Comey’s Instagram post featuring the number “8647” may have started as a cryptic beach snapshot, but it’s become the latest flashpoint in America’s ever-expanding political battlefield—one that now includes the question of whether a former FBI Director has indirectly threatened a sitting president.
On its surface, Comey’s post—showing seashells arranged in the sand to form the numbers “8647”—seemed trivial. The caption read: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” But within hours, the political subtext exploded. In common slang, “86” can mean to eliminate or kill, and “47” is increasingly used by supporters and critics alike to identify Donald Trump as the 47th president. The implication was quickly interpreted by many as a veiled call to “eliminate” Trump.
Whether intentional or accidental, Comey’s post set off alarms.
President Trump, speaking from Abu Dhabi, didn’t mince words:
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant… That meant assassination.”
The post triggered immediate condemnation from Trump’s inner circle and former administration figures. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino labeled it a “call to assassinate” the president. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard went even further, stating on Fox News that Comey “should be held accountable and put behind bars.”
“We’ve already seen assassination attempts. I’m very concerned for [Trump’s] life,” Gabbard said. “People take James Comey seriously. He has influence.”
The response wasn’t just rhetorical. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the Secret Service is investigating the post, and agents have been dispatched to question Comey—a standard procedure for any perceived threat against the president.
Comey later deleted the post and issued a statement claiming ignorance:
“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.”
To some, this explanation seems implausible, particularly for someone with Comey’s background in federal law enforcement and counterintelligence. Even if the intention was apolitical or simply a nod to Trump as the 47th president, posting “86” beside “47” without recognizing the potential connotation has many questioning Comey’s judgment—or his honesty.
The Secret Service, in an official statement, affirmed their awareness of the post but did not assign intent, saying only that they were “investigating” and “take rhetoric like this very seriously.”
The controversy also coincided with Comey promoting his upcoming legal thriller FDR Drive, in which the protagonist—a U.S. Attorney—prosecutes a far-right media figure for inciting violence against named opponents. The timing of the real-life controversy, paired with the novel’s premise, left critics wondering whether the post was part of a clumsy promotional stunt or something more ideological.
President Trump says James Comey knew exactly what he was doing with the “86 47” post: “That meant assassination.”
“He’s a dirty cop.”
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) May 16, 2025
The irony is sharp: a man who built a fictional narrative around the dangers of inciting violence now finds himself at the center of a storm over what some view as precisely that.
Some defenders of Comey have pointed out that “86” has a long, non-violent etymology, especially in New York. Legend has it that the term originates from Chumley’s, a historic bar at 86 Bedford Street in Manhattan. During Prohibition, bartenders would escort patrons out the side door at that address to avoid arrest. Others claim it meant cutting off unruly patrons from service.
Still, context matters, especially when a number with violent associations is placed beside a number with presidential relevance—by a man who once led the FBI and oversaw national security investigations.
