Former FBI Chief James Comey Under Investigation for Coded Seashell Photo
TL;DR
Former FBI Director James Comey faces scrutiny from the Secret Service for posting an image of seashells arranged to display the numbers ‘8647.’ Critics interpret this as a coded threat against former President Trump, leading to a federal investigation.
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Former FBI Chief James Comey Under Scrutiny for Seashell Photo Displaying “8647”
Former FBI Director James Comey is currently under investigation by the Secret Service for posting an image featuring seashells arranged to show the numbers '8647.' Some interpret this as a coded threat against former President Donald Trump. The post, which was shared on Instagram with the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” has since been deleted.
Comey was fired by the Trump administration in 2017, allegedly due to his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The recent post has sparked backlash from Trump supporters and prompted an investigation by the Secret Service, as confirmed by DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the number '86' is slang for "to reject" or "to get rid of," and in more recent usage, it can mean "to kill." Trump is the 47th U.S. president, leading some to interpret '8647' as a veiled threat.
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. pic.twitter.com/uhYSB7GYvt
— U.S. Secret Service Office of Communications (@SecretSvcSpox) May 16, 2025
Comey has maintained that he did not understand the significance of the numbers but acknowledged the potential implications. He stated, "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.”
The controversy highlights the delicate balance between free speech and perceived threats in the digital age. As the investigation continues, the incident underscores the scrutiny public figures face, particularly those involved in high-profile political events.
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