Comey Instagram Post Sparks MAGA Claims of Threat Against Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey posted a photo on Instagram showing seashells arranged to spell "8647," which some Trump supporters interpreted as a coded call for the assassination of President Donald Trump, the 47th president. The number "86" is commonly used in restaurant slang to mean "to get rid of," but some in Trump's circle argued it suggested violence or killing, prompting calls for federal investigations and criminal charges. Comey explained that he found the shells arranged that way during a walk and did not intend any violent message, subsequently deleting the post and condemning violence. Trump officials, including Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, reacted strongly, with some demanding Comey be jailed, while the Secret Service and FBI took the matter seriously and began inquiries. Critics pointed out the hypocrisy of MAGA supporters, noting that Trump himself has shared violent imagery against political opponents, including a video depicting Joe Biden bound and gagged. The incident reflects the highly charged political environment and differing interpretations of symbolic language amid ongoing tensions between Trump supporters and critics like Comey.