Secret Service Investigates Ex-FBI Director Comey Over Social Media Post Seen as Trump Threat

Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation by the Secret Service and Homeland Security following a now-deleted Instagram post showing seashells arranged to form the numbers "8647," which many Trump supporters interpreted as a veiled threat against President Donald Trump. The number "86" is slang for "to get rid of" or more recently "to kill," and "47" refers to Trump as the 47th president, leading to accusations that Comey was inciting violence. Comey denied any violent intent, stating he assumed the shells represented a political message and opposed any form of violence. The post drew sharp criticism from Republicans including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Trump allies, who called for an immediate investigation and condemned the timing of the post as dangerous given Trump's current travels. Secret Service officials confirmed they are reviewing the post seriously as part of their protective intelligence duties, while the FBI is supporting the investigation. This incident comes amid heightened security concerns following past assassination attempts on Trump.