Former FBI Director James Comey is under federal investigation after posting a now-deleted image many believe was a coded threat aimed at President Trump. The post, featuring seashells arranged as “86 47,” triggered swift backlash and an official probe by the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security. Secret Service Launches Protective Investigation Comey’s Instagram post showed a beachside arrangement of shells forming the numbers “86” and “47.” Social media users and critics were quick to decode it as: “86” — slang for “get rid of” — and “47” — widely associated with Donald Trump’s return as the 47th President. Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the agency had launched an investigation, saying: “We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI director and we take rhetoric like this very seriously.” The probe comes as the nation remains on edge following two failed assassination attempts against Trump in 2024. President Donald Trump lashed out Friday against ex-FBI director James Comey over an Instagram post that contained an image that top Trump officials claimed was a threat. https://t.co/uvbNmCOFzk https://t.co/uvbNmCOFzk — ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) May 16, 2025 Conservatives Condemn Post as Threatening Republican leaders didn’t hold back. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Comey of promoting political violence, stating: “Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump.” Representative Tim Burchett and Trump campaign officials also demanded Comey be raided or arrested, referencing the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago. Trump campaign spokesperson Taylor Budowich warned, “This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.” Even FBI Director Kash Patel pledged the bureau’s support for the Secret Service investigation. Former FBI director James Comey was interviewed over an Instagram post which had a photo of seashells arranged to form the shapes "86 47." Trump supporters interpreted it as a call to "assassinate" the president.https://t.co/U2DrGk4Pwe — DW News (@dwnews) May 17, 2025 Comey Claims It Was a Misunderstanding Comey took to “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to explain. He claimed the shell design was something he found on a beach walk with his wife and that it never crossed his mind as a threat. “She said, ‘You should Instagram that.’ And then, boom,” Comey recalled. He further explained that his wife, a former server, recognized “86” as restaurant slang, not a violent reference. Comey insisted it was intended as a “clever political message” — not a coded assassination call. Still, after the public backlash, Comey deleted the post. Now a fiction author promoting his latest novel, Comey continues to face bipartisan criticism — not just for the post, but for his controversial legacy stretching back to the 2016 election and his role in the Trump-Russia probe. As the investigation unfolds, the public is left to wonder: was it just a political jab, or something far more dangerous? Sources: Former FBI Director James Comey under investigation for post seen as a potential threat to Trump’s life Damage Control: Jim Comey Insists He Found Trump Threat On Beach, Didn’t Know What ’86’ Meant