BREAKING: James Comey pleads ignorance, deletes post threatening Trump, DHS, SS investigating

“We are aware of the recent tweet by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump,” Patel wrote on X. “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.”

“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey called for the assassination of [President] Trump. DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem posted to X.

The post in question showed seashells arranged on a beach to read “86 47”—a combination widely interpreted online as a coded message to “get rid of” Trump, who is the 47th President of the United States. The number “86” is slang for eliminating or discarding something, and has sometimes been linked to violent intent.

Comey has since apologized and removed the image, writing, “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.”

The image drew swift criticism from Republican lawmakers and Trump allies, who saw it as a veiled threat.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X, “Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich added, “While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East, the former FBI Director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States—a message etched in the sand. This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) also weighed in: “Because two assassination attempts were apparently not enough for these people,” sharing a screenshot of Comey’s post.

Comey’s photo was captioned as a “shell formation,” but given his past clashes with Trump—including his dismissal as FBI Director in 2017—the post quickly went viral.