Former FBI Director James Comey is under investigation for an Instagram post interpreted as a veiled threat to Trump.
- Alexandre Tavares Lopes
- 16 de mai.
- 3 min de leitura
James Comey, former FBI director, got involved in a controversy after posting a photo on Instagram showing seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47.” It seems harmless, right? But not for some Republicans, who claimed the combination was a veiled threat against former President Trump, the 47th person to hold the office.
In the United States, “86” is slang that can mean “get rid of something”—which led to the more serious interpretation. Donald Trump Jr. didn’t let it slide and wrote on social media: “James Comey calling for my father’s assassination. Sick!”
Comey denied everything and said he had no idea the numbers could be seen that way. “I thought it was a political message. I don’t support any kind of violence, which is why I deleted it,” he explained.
Another example of how even a walk on the beach can turn into a storm on social media.
Although Comey deleted the photo and explained that he had no intention of inciting violence, the damage was already done. The internet — as always — went into investigation mode, and the post quickly became political ammunition.Trump’s allies began using the case as an example of an alleged “double standard” on social media, where any criticism of Trump turns into a scandal, but provocations against him are ignored or treated less seriously.
Meanwhile, on the other side, many internet users mocked the overreaction, saying that “seeing a deadly threat in seashells” was really stretching it. Some even made memes with other combinations of numbers and objects — because, of course, the internet never misses a good chance to make fun.
In the end, Comey tried to calm things down, but the episode became just another spark in the powder keg that is American politics in 2025. And the lesson? In times of polarization, even a walk on the beach can make headlines.
The seashell controversy took another turn when the current FBI director, Kash Patel, got involved. In a social media post, he said he was aware of James Comey’s post and assured that the FBI is cooperating with the Secret Service.
“We are aware of the recent post by former FBI Director James Comey directed at President Trump,” Patel wrote. “We are in contact with the Secret Service and with Director Sean Curran. The primary responsibility in these cases lies with the Secret Service, but the FBI will provide all necessary support.”
And if that wasn’t enough, later that night, the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, went on TV and poured fuel on the fire: she called for Comey to be arrested over the post. In an interview with Fox News, she said she didn’t believe that someone like Comey — who once led the FBI — wouldn’t be aware of the interpretation that “86 47” could have.
“I am very concerned for his life,” Gabbard said, referring to Trump. “There have already been assassination attempts against the president, and in my view, James Comey should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”
It’s worth noting that Gabbard has no direct involvement in the investigation, nor does she have the legal authority to order anyone’s arrest in this kind of case.For those who don’t remember: Comey was the FBI director during the investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 elections, and he also led the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s emails. He was fired by Trump in 2017, shortly after the administration began. He served more than three years in the role.
Since then, Comey has become a constant target of both the right and the left, criticized for how he conducted the investigations publicly—none of which resulted in charges against either Trump or Hillary.
Trump, in fact, never hid his dislike for Comey. After the firing, he called him “vain” and “a reality show star disguised as a director.”
And for now, the story keeps unfolding with new chapters—seashells, posts, explosive statements, and, of course, plenty of political noise.
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