16 May USA
Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation after posting an image with the number “8647,” which some interpret as a coded threat against Donald Trump.
Federal investigators in the U.S. are reviewing a social media post made by James Comey, former FBI Director, that some supporters of former President Donald Trump view as a possible threat to Trump.
The post featured seashells placed together to appear as the number “8647.” The post was uploaded to Comey’s Instagram account and has since been deleted.
Comey posted a photo of shells arranged in an “8647” shape, with a caption noting that it was a “cool shell formation” taken from a beach walk, on May 15, 2025. The 86 in informal slang means to eliminate/get rid of. The 47 refers to Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States.
Based on this combination, some Trump supporters assumed that this post was a call to arms or violence against Trump. After the backlash, he removed the post and stated he did not know what violent meaning it had and reiterated he was opposed to violence.
The U.S. Secret Service has noted the post and is now looking into whether it was a threat. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed there was a review last night with the Secret Service. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino called Comey out for inciting violence.
The post has renewed animosities between Comey and Trump, which go back to 2017 when Trump fired Comey amid an investigation into Trump’s 2016 campaign.
Trump’s allies, including Donald Trump Jr. and House Speaker Mike Johnson, decried the post as a threat and called for investigations and possible prosecutions.
Comey has denied any wrongdoing, saying he did not realize the numbers implied violence and pulled the post as a precaution. He then stated again that he was against violence after pulling the post.
The investigation is in process, and it does not appear that Comey is being charged at this point.
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