Former FBI director James Comey is under investigation for implying President Donald Trump ‘should be assassinated.’
Comey uploaded a cryptic picture on his Instagram account on Thursday afternoon, which featured an assortment of shells arranged to spell out: ’86 47.’
The combination of numbers has allegedly been linked to the assassination of Trump and a ‘quiet resistence.’
Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem exploded at Comey on X within hours, amid mounting fury from MAGA loyalists.
‘Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of President Trump,’ she wrote.
‘DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.’
Comey swiftly deleted the Instagram photo, but not before it was seized upon and shared widely among right-wing X accounts.
Trump’s son Don Jr. weighed in on Thursday, expressing shock over the post.
Former FBI director James Comey is under investigation for implying President Donald Trump ‘should be assassinated’
Pictured: The offending post Comey briefly shared to his Instagram page
He wrote: Just James Comey causally [sic] calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!’
Comey issued a statement on Thursday night insisting it was an honest mistake and he did not understand the connotations of the message.
‘I posted a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,’ he wrote.
‘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 number 86 have been colloquially associated with ‘to kill or murder’ within some circles, in an apparent reference to a standard sized grave being eight feet long and six feet deep.
Trump’s son Don Jr. expressed outrage over the post on Thursday night
Trump is the 47th president, so some anti-Trump groups use the two numbers together to indicate that Trump should be assassinated.
During his bid for reelection, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear.
Authorities also foiled an assassination plan backed by Iran just months later.
Right-wing commentator Meghan McCain wrote on X: ‘Don’t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump.
‘James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill?’
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
