Former FBI Director James Comey was reportedly interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service on Friday, following the online circulation of a picture he posted depicting “86 47.” Multiple news outlets reported seeing Comey leaving the Secret Service’s Washington, D.C., field office.
The controversy began on Thursday when Comey shared a photo on his Instagram account showing seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47.” This post quickly drew criticism online, with many interpreting the numbers as a veiled threat against the 47th president.
Figures such as a senior advisor and son of the 47th president voiced their concerns on X, suggesting the post alluded to violence. The term “86” is commonly understood to mean “get rid of” or “throw out,” according to Merriam-Webster, and can also carry the meaning of “kill or murder” in slang dictionaries.
Comey deleted the original post shortly after and offered an explanation, stating he removed it upon realizing “some folks associate those numbers with violence.”
READ: Gabbard Accuses Former FBI Director Comey Of ‘Mob-Style’ Threat Against President Trump
“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 of any kind so I took the post down,” Comey wrote.
Despite the removal, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on X that both her department and the Secret Service would investigate the matter. She alleged that Comey had “called for the assassination” of the 47th president.
In a Friday interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, the 47th president commented on Comey’s post, asserting that the former director knew the intended meaning of the image. “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant … that meant ‘assassination,’” he said.
On Thursday, Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi acknowledged the agency’s awareness of the post but refrained from further comment due to the ongoing investigation.
“We vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees. We are aware of the social media posts by the former FBI Director & we take rhetoric like this very seriously. Beyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters,” Guglielmi stated.
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