Federal authorities are looking into a now-deleted Instagram post from former FBI Director James Comey that appeared to reference the 47th president using language commonly associated with violence. The post, which showed seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47,” sparked swift backlash and has prompted an official investigation by the U.S. Secret Service.
Comey deleted the image after intense criticism, including from members of Congress and Donald Trump Jr. Trump. The 47th president has survived two assassination attempts within the last year, including one shooting incident that left a bystander dead.
The photo, posted Thursday, showed the numbers drawn into the sand using seashells. Comey captioned it, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk…” While the image may have seemed harmless to some, “86” is slang that has long been understood to mean eliminate or kill, and “47” is being interpreted as a reference to President Trump.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey wrote in a follow-up post after deleting the original. “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.”
Shortly after the post’s removal, a Secret Service source confirmed to Fox News Digital that agents would be investigating and conducting an interview with Comey regarding the matter.
Comey’s former agency, the FBI, did not issue an official comment, though sources indicated that leadership at the bureau was aware of the post.
Trump-appointed FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed in a statement that the agency is involved. “We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran,” Patel said. “Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.”
The post has drawn comparisons to a 2020 case involving comedian John Mulaney, whose monologue on Saturday Night Live referenced the assassination of Julius Caesar in a joke about then-President Trump. That comment led to an FBI investigation at the time.
White House officials condemned Comey’s post, calling it dangerous and irresponsible. “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,” said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich. “This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”
