Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), announced Thursday that it would launch an investigation into a since-deleted Instagram post shared by former FBI Director James Comey—a post that allegedly alluded to assassinating President Donald Trump.
In the post, Comey, 64, shared an image on Instagram of a sea shell formation Comey claimed resembled the number “8647.” The seemingly cryptic photo sparked immediate backlash from Trump allies, Republican lawmakers, and administration officials, who interpreted it as a thinly veiled jab at Trump. Critics pointed out that “86” is commonly used as slang for “to eliminate” or “get rid of,” according to Merriam-Webster, suggesting the post may have carried a pointed political message to get rid of the president, according to NBC News.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” Noem penned on Thursday, May 15, noting that DHS would be investigating the post alongside the Secret Service.
Comey denied wrongdoing
After deleting the post in question, Comey shared a statement on Instagram explaining that the image wasn’t a direct threat to Trump. He assumed the photo was representative of “a political message” but didn’t realize that some may interpret the numbers as “violence.”
He added, “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Interestingly, Comey isn’t the first to use “86” in a political context. In February 2024, Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz—once floated as a potential attorney general under Trump—used the term in a social media post calling out fellow Republicans who he had previously clashed with.
Still, Comey’s apology wasn’t enough to stave off criticism from Republicans and allies of Trump. Donald Trump Jr. claimed Comey “casually” called for his father “to be murdered,” in a post shared Thursday. “This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!” he added.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for Comey to be jailed over the post, stating she did not believe he was unaware of the possible interpretation of “8647.”
“There has to be accountability for this…The rule of law says people like him who issue direct threats against the POTUS, essentially issuing a call to assassinate him, must be held accountable under the law,” Gabbard said. “I’m very concerned for his life.”
“We’ve already seen assassination attempts…and James Comey in my view should be held accountable and put behind bars for this,” she added.
Comey served as FBI Director for over three years, overseeing high-profile investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. He was dismissed by Donald Trump in May 2017, just months into Trump’s first term.
Since his firing, Comey has been an outspoken critic of the former president, repeatedly questioning Trump’s fitness for office and condemning his impulsive behavior and inflammatory rhetoric. In an April 2018 interview with NPR, Comey expressed concern that President Trump threatens core American values such as the rule of law, truth, and equal protection—values that transcend political divisions. He warned that if these foundational statues are erased, the very identity of the nation is at risk.
“What I’m worried about with this president is, he threatens those [values]. And if we lose those, if those norms are degraded, those values are degraded, what are we exactly?” the former FBI director said at the time. “And so, I’m hoping that I can be useful in saying to people, it doesn’t matter whether the Republican or Democrat or neither. We need to think and talk about those values…there’s a danger.”
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Department Of Homeland Security Launches Investigation Into James Comey Over Cryptic ‘8647’ Post
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