Secret Service probe former FBI boss James Comey over post allegedly aimed at Trump

Former Director James Comey is under investigation by the US after posting an image that Republicans allege was a veiled threat to . The since-deleted post featured a photo of seashells arranged to spell the numbers “8647,” accompanied by the caption: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

MAGA Republicans claimed the number combination referenced a coded threat. According to Merriam-Webster, the slang term “86 " can mean “to reject” or “to get rid of” and has more recently been interpreted to mean “to kill.” Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem immediately accused Comey of promoting violence, posting on X: “Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of Trump.” She added that her department, along with the Secret Service, would investigate the post.

READ MORE:

Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi confirmed the agency was reviewing the matter. “We vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” he posted on X. "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.”

Comey later deleted the post and issued a clarification. “I assumed [the seashells] were a political message,” he wrote. “I didn’t realise 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 incident comes amid heightened security concerns. Trump survived two assassination attempts last year, intensifying the scrutiny of any potentially threatening language aimed at the former president.

FBI Director Kash Patel also addressed the situation, stating: “We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump.

"We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS [Secret Service] on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.”

The president’s son . reacted furiously on social media, posting a bizarre message that read: “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered,” he ranted. “This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino added fuel to the controversy, accusing Comey of incitement while Trump is abroad.

“A plea to bad actors/terrorists to assassinate the POTUS while travelling internationally,” he posted on X, referring to Trump’s current visit to the Middle East.

Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until his 2017 dismissal by Trump.

He had a tumultuous tenure marked by his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation and his role in the early stages of the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election.