President Donald Trump has accused former FBI Director James Comey of calling for his assassination in a now-deleted Instagram post.
Trump blasts Comey over cryptic ’86 47′ message in photo.
The controversy began after James Comey posted a photo showing seashells arranged to display the numbers “86 47” on a beach.
Trump, during an interview on Fox News, argued the numbers clearly implied a call for his assassination as the 47th president.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant,” Trump said, calling Comey’s actions deliberate and dangerous.
The number “86” is widely used as slang for “eliminate” or “get rid of.” Combined with “47,” critics see coded violence.
In addition, Trump accused Comey of using coded language to provoke harm. Trum also questioned how someone with FBI experience could plead ignorance.
‘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.” He added.
Comey deletes post, denies violent intent.
Comey later deleted the photo and issued a statement claiming he didn’t understand the numbers could be interpreted as violent.
‘And he did it for a reason, and he was hit so hard because people like me, they like what’s happening with our country. Our country has become respected again and all this, and he’s calling for the assassination of the president.’ He explained.
However, he emphasized that he opposes violence “of any kind”. He also said that once the implications were explained, he removed the post.
‘I posted a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,’ he wrote.
‘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.’
Trump says Comey’s past voids presumption of innocence
Despite the explanation, Trump dismissed Comey’s defense. He suggested Attorney General Pam Bondi would consider legal action if appropriate.
“He’s a dirty cop,” Trump said. “If he had a clean history, I could maybe understand leniency. But he doesn’t.”
The president claimed Comey’s controversial past makes the post far more serious and called it a disgraceful act by a former official.
While, Trump’s full interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, where he expanded on the accusations, will air Friday evening on *Special Report*.
Republican leaders and trump allies publicly condemn James comey’s instagram post as dangerous and irresponsible
Outrage spread quickly among Republicans who viewed Comey’s post as a threat, veiled call to violence, or dangerous political provocation.
Donald Trump Jr. posted angrily on X: “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered… Demented!!!!”
Additionally, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that DHS and the Secret Service would investigate the Instagram post as a potential threat.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of President Trump,” she wrote on social media.
Gabbard, others say Comey should face charges over violent message.
Former presidential candidate and intelligence official Tulsi Gabbard condemned Comey’s explanation as dishonest and deeply concerning.
“For Comey to claim he didn’t know what this meant is ridiculous,” Gabbard said. “The dangerousness of this cannot be understated.”
She added that his previous role as FBI Director gave him an understanding of coded language and public safety threats.
“I’m very concerned for the president’s life,” Gabbard added. “Comey should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”
Critics questioned how Comey could have arranged the shells, then posted the image without recognizing its implications.
Comey’s defenders argued the post meant “throw out” or “veto” the 47th president—similar to the anti-Biden slogan “86 46.”
While, they said the message was a political call to impeach Trump, not a literal threat.
Some argued it should not be seen as promoting violence.
Additionally, they pointed to previous political uses of similar phrases. Despite public anger, others urged caution in interpretation.