Former FBI Director James Comey posted an image to Instagram on Thursday – then later took it down – that depicted the number “8647,’ which many took as call to assassinate President Trump.
The Secret Service and FBI are investigating it as such.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X.
She said the Secret Service, which is under her department’s jurisdiction, “is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency “will provide all necessary support.”
Mr. Comey posted what he called “cool formation” of seashells with the numbers “8647.”
The number “86” can be used as a slang term for “get rid of” or “eliminate.” Mr. Trump is the 47th president.
Mr. Comey took the post down and in a separate post said he assumed the seashell formation was a political message but that “it never occurred” to him that it was a call to assassinate Mr. Trump.
“I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence,” he said.
He didn’t elaborate on what he thought might have been the non-assassination political message.
Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey from his post as FBI director in 2017 for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email controversy and the bureau’s investigation of alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.
The Secret Service confirmed its investigation into Mr. Comey’s post but would not say whether it had taken enhanced steps to protect Mr. Trump.
The president survived an assassination attempt last July and the protective agency stopped another would-be assassin in September.
“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,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said on X.
“Beyond that, we do not comment on protective intelligence matters,” he added.
The Secret Service may also be investigating who made the shell formation, which was clearly arranged by a person, not a natural coincidence.
Mr. Comey said he found the shell formation while on a beach walk.
Republican lawmakers flooded social media with posts criticizing Mr. Comey and supporting the investigation.
“James Comey is either threatening to kill Donald Trump or suggesting someone should,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said. “This is as outrageous as it is dangerous.”
