The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service have launched an investigation into a social media post by former FBI director James Comey. The probe comes after several government officials said they believed it called for the assassination of President Donald Trump.
What did the post say?
In the since-deleted Instagram post, Comey shared a picture of what he said was a “shell formation” on a beach that appeared to be the numbers “8647.” The Trump administration and allies quickly scrutinized Comey’s post, accusing the former FBI director of threatening Trump’s life.
“Eighty-six” is a common term that people use to mean getting rid of something or throwing it out. Additionally, Trump currently serves as the 47th president in U.S. history.
How has the Trump administration responded?
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem responded to the post on X.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS,” she said. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump.
DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.
— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 15, 2025
Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi told NBC News, “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.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X, “While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East the former FBI director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States– a message etched in the sand,” Budowich added, “This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”
One of Trump’s sons, his eldest Donald Trump Jr., wrote on X, “Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!”
How has Comey responded to accusations?
Comey refuted accusations that his post called for Trump’s assassination and released a statement in response to the controversy.
“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. It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind, so I took the post down,” the former FBI director said in a separate post on Instagram.
Some Republicans angered by Comey’s post called for the former head of the FBI’s arrest and for his home to be raided by authorities.
Comey and Trump’s history
Trump fired Comey during his first term in office in 2017. The FBI, during Comey’s tenure, investigated accusations that Trump’s 2016 campaign staff communicated with Russia.
Months after the probe became public, the Trump administration fired Comey, claiming he had failed to properly investigate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account during her time as secretary of state, according to findings from the U.S. Department of Justice at that time.
Following his termination, Comey became critical of Trump and published a book while investigations into the president were ongoing, a move that drew criticism from Republicans. In 2018, Comey also accused Trump of being “morally unfit to be president” and called him “unethical” after his dismissal.
Assassination attempts on Trump’s life
Trump has also seen two attempts on his life, both during the 2024 presidential campaign.
A gunman killed a spectator and a bullet grazed the president’s ear during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
Another assassination attempt happened months later when the Secret Service found a man with a gun outside the golf course at Trump’s Florida resort. Authorities have arrested a man who currently faces charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, as well as assaulting a federal officer and facing weapons charges. He has pleaded not guilty in the case.
contributed to this report.
