Former FBI Director James Comey deleted an Instagram post that called to “86 47,” which some interpreted as a violent threat against President Trump.
Comey shared a photo of a shell formation on the beach appearing as “86 47” – 86 possibly meaning “eliminate” and 47 potentially meaning President Trump.
While the phrase “86” does not inherently mean violence – it allegedly originated as a restaurant term – people immediately criticized the post for tangentially implying violence, and Comey deleted it as a result.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. 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,” he wrote in a later post.
Current FBI Director Kash Patel said that his department was made aware of the post and was in communication with the Secret Service.
“We are aware of the recent tweet 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,” Patel posted on X.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) also said in a statement on X that James Comey should explain himself on what he meant due to the two previous assassination attempts on the president’s life.
“James Comey is posting cryptic messages online alluding to getting rid of President Trump. Would he like to explain what he means by this given the assassination attempts on President Trump?” said Blackburn.
James Comey was fired as FBI director during the first Trump administration and he became a stalwart opponent of the president ever since. He also endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the previous election.
“Kamala Harris made me feel like it’s finally morning in America,” Comey said. “Everyone who cares about the rule of law and America’s indispensable role in the world should vote for Harris and Walz.”
“I will,” Comey vowed.
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning Christian tech thriller, EXEMPLUM, which has a 100% Rotten Tomatoes critic rating and can be viewed for FREE on YouTube, Tubi, or Fawesome TV. “Better than Killers of the Flower Moon,” wrote Mark Judge. “You haven’t seen a story like this before,” wrote Christian Toto. A high-quality, ad-free rental can also be streamed on Google Play, Vimeo on Demand, or YouTube Movies. Follow him on X @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.
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