Former FBI Director James Comey’s Instagram post showing “86 47” in seashells has been interpreted as a coded call for President Trump’s assassination, igniting a federal investigation and revealing the deep-seated bias that Kash Patel claims has infected the agency.
Key Takeaways
- James Comey’s now-deleted Instagram post featuring “86 47” spelled in seashells has been widely interpreted as a threat to President Trump, with “86” being slang for “kill” and Trump being the 47th president.
- FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed the agency is working with the Secret Service to investigate the threat, while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard explicitly accused Comey of calling for Trump’s assassination.
- Patel has alleged that under Comey’s leadership, the FBI showed political bias favoring Hillary Clinton and operated independently of Trump administration Department of Justice guidelines.
- The controversy highlights the ongoing tension between FBI independence and accountability, with Patel claiming he himself was targeted by a “weaponized FBI” under the previous administration.
- This incident follows multiple assassination attempts against President Trump, including the July shooting at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally.
Comey’s Cryptic Message Sparks Federal Investigation
The Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service have launched an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey after he posted a controversial image on Instagram. The post, which has since been deleted, showed seashells arranged to spell “86 47” – widely interpreted as a coded threat against President Trump, who is the 47th president. In restaurant terminology, “86” means to remove an item, but it has also evolved into slang meaning to kill or dispose of someone. President Trump immediately condemned the post, calling Comey a “dirty cop” and stating the message had clear implications.
“He knew exactly what that meant. That meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear. Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant,” Said Donald Trump.
Comey has since claimed ignorance about the potential interpretation of his post, stating: “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.” This explanation has been met with widespread skepticism, particularly given Comey’s extensive law enforcement background and the timing of the post. U.S. media has reported that Comey has already been questioned by the Secret Service regarding the incident.
Patel Reveals FBI Bias Under Comey’s Leadership
FBI Director Kash Patel has been outspoken about what he describes as the FBI’s political bias under Comey’s leadership. In recent statements, Patel has alleged that the FBI under Comey operated with a clear preference for Hillary Clinton, making independent decisions about which cases to prosecute regardless of Department of Justice guidelines. This autonomy, according to Patel, created an environment where political influence could permeate the investigative process, undermining the Trump administration’s priorities.
During a recent House hearing, Patel faced accusations from Rep. Madeleine Dean that his book constituted an “enemies list” targeting political figures. Patel forcefully rejected this characterization, turning the tables by highlighting his own experience. “You want to know who was targeted by a weaponized FBI? Me. You want to know how and why? You want to know what I’m doing to fix it?” Stated Patel.
The exchange underscores the persistent tension between agency independence and political accountability that has defined much of the debate surrounding the FBI’s operations. Patel has maintained that his book does not contain an “enemies list” but rather identifies individuals who violated constitutional obligations. When Dean expressed disinterest in his explanation and stated she would not distribute his book to constituents, Patel simply responded, “That’s their loss.”
A Pattern of Threats and Political Weaponization
The Comey incident is particularly alarming given the multiple assassination attempts President Trump has already faced, including the shooting at his July campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has explicitly characterized Comey’s post as “a call to action to murder the president” and fully supports the ongoing investigation. The pattern suggests a disturbing normalization of threats against the president from individuals who previously held positions of power and authority.
“He’s calling for the assassination of the president,” Stated President Donald Trump.
The contentious history between Trump and Comey dates back to 2017 when Trump fired Comey during an investigation into alleged collusion with Moscow. Patel has confirmed he was previously subpoenaed and testified before a federal grand jury in the investigation into Trump’s retention of White House documents, a case many conservatives have argued was politically motivated. These developments paint a picture of systematic bias within federal law enforcement that the current administration is working to address and correct.
