By Former Director of the FBI James Comey used social media to make an apparent threat against President Trump. The post, shared on Comey’s verified Instagram account featured a photo of sand and seashells arranged to read “86 47,” accompanied by the caption: “Cool Shell formation on my beach walk 2 hours ago.” It drew little attention on Instagram itself—just 105 likes—but quickly went viral on Twitter after being spotted by journalists:
To the uninitiated, the numbers may seem arbitrary. But within American slang, “86” is a well-known euphemism for elimination or removal—its roots traced to Prohibition-era bars and 20th-century diner lingo. In some contexts, it carries even darker connotations: to “86” someone can mean to kill. And “47”? That number now refers unmistakably to Trump, who returned to the White House in 2024 as the nation’s 47th president.
Put together—“86 47”—the phrase has been interpreted by critics as a sinister call for the elimination of Trump, whether metaphorical or literal.
The implications are especially volatile given recent history. On September 15, 2024, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at his Florida golf club. The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, was arrested with a loaded rifle after allegedly stalking the president for weeks. According to charging documents and prior statements, Routh had repeatedly expressed violent intent, calling Trump a “buffoon” and suggesting he deserved to be “executed” for the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal.
And that attack came just two months after another high-profile attempt on July 13, when Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, fired several shots at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One bullet grazed Trump’s ear and killing a spectator. The attempt, dubbed the most serious breach of presidential security since Reagan in 1981, pushed political tensions in the U.S. to new extremes.
Now, with memories of those attacks still raw, Comey’s cryptic post has poured gasoline on an already raging fire.
Comey’s critics wasted no time in sounding the alarm. One X user, tagging high-profile figures, demanded accountability:
Another denounced the post as evidence of the “lunatic left”:
Comey, who may have been trying to gain publicity for a novel he wrote, pretended he had no idea what “86” meant. But intent may matter less than perception—especially among the left, which has become more and more prone to violence as it’s lost elections.
EX-FBI Director Comey posted this image showing "86 47." In code, that translates to "get rid of Trump" in most generous interpretation, and "kill Trump" in the worst.
He deleted the post. Now, the guy who the HEAD of the FBI claims he had no idea "86" could imply violence. pic.twitter.com/pZsYKuD5wK
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) May 15, 2025
Comey’s relationship with Trump has long been fraught. Appointed as FBI Director under President Obama, Comey was abruptly fired by Trump in May 2017, sparking a political earthquake. At the time, Comey was leading simultaneous investigations into Hillary Clinton’s email server and Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump’s move was widely interpreted as an attempt to obstruct federal scrutiny—a view later echoed in Robert Mueller’s special counsel probe, though no charges were filed.
The feud never cooled. Comey has since cast himself as a moral counterweight to Trumpism, frequently criticizing the former president in books, interviews, and social media posts. But this latest episode may have crossed a line.
The Secret Service announced it was looking into Comey’s threat.
“The Secret Service vigorously investigates 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 and we take rhetoric like this very seriously. Beyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters,” Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement.
A federal law enforcement official told USA TODAY that the Secret Service was sending agents to question Comey about his post, saying that it would do the same for anyone posting a potential threat about a former or current president. The official said that on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing investigative matters.
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