President Donald Trump lashed out Friday against ex-FBI director James Comey over an Instagram post that contained an image that top Trump officials claimed was a threat.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Comey showed a photo of “8647” written in seashells in sand, with the caption “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Some far-right allies of President Trump, including Laura Loomer, have alleged that Comey is calling for violence against President Trump.
To “86” something, however, has fairly broad interpretations as a slang term — and can simply mean to nix or “get rid”of’ something.
Comey says he figured the message was political, but didn’t realize it called for violence against Trump.
President Donald Trump attends a business forum in Abu Dhabi, May 16, 2025.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
“It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind,” Comey said in another post on Instagram.
Trump, however, told Fox News Friday that he wasn’t buying Comey’s explanation.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination,” the president said.
Trump fired Comey in his first administration and the president claimed Comey still had an axe to grind.
“Well, he apologized because he was hit — he’s a very bad guy,” Trump said.
The president did not take a position on whether or not Comey should be investigated, but deferred to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday in an X post that the U.S. Secret Service is looking into Comey’s post.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” she said.
