Up next
Author
Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp

Key Points
  • Former FBI director James Comey shared an image of seashells arranged to spell out the numbers 8647 on social media.
  • Some of Trump’s supporters said the numbers were a coded message calling for Trump’s removal from office.
  • Comey deleted the post, saying: “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey has met with the United States Secret Service, after he was called in to discuss a social media post that Donald Trump’s supporters claimed was a threat against the president.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in a post on social media platform X, said there was “an ongoing investigation” but gave no indication of whether Comey might be subject to further action.
The Secret Service, which is in charge of presidential security and is part of the Department of Homeland Security, interviewed Comey at the Washington field office on Saturday (AEST), according to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The meeting lasted about an hour, the official said.

Comey appeared voluntarily after being asked to come in, the source said.

Federal law enforcement agencies were investigating an Instagram post by Comey on Thursday with a photo of the number 8647 formed by seashells on sand with the comment: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

What does 8647 mean?

In American slang, the number 86 can be used as a verb meaning to remove something or someone.
It’s typically used in restaurants and bars, and can be applied to menu items that are no longer available or patrons that should be refused service or thrown out for being drunk or disorderly.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary says on its website that one recent meaning of the term 86 was “to kill”, but that it had not adopted it “due to its relative recency and sparseness of use”.
Trump is the 47th president of the United States.

Put together, some Trump supporters interpreted the message as a call to violently remove Trump from office, including through assassination.

A man in a dark blue suit, light blue shirt and red tie. His hand is raised.

James Comey said he took the post down as he “opposes violence of any kind”. Source: AAP / Michael Reynolds/EPA

Comey, who was fired by Trump in 2017, took down the post after a backlash from Trump supporters, saying on Instagram: “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

The ‘8647’ and ‘8646’ themes have been used as political slogans and on T-shirts during the administrations of both Trump and his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, the 46th US president.

‘Knew exactly what he meant’

Trump himself accused Comey of calling for his assassination on Friday, rejecting the former FBI director’s explanation that he was not aware of any violent connotation.

“He knew exactly what that meant,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News before leaving Abu Dhabi while on a four-day Middle East trip, adding that he would leave further action on the matter to attorney-general Pam Bondi and others.

Trump fired Comey early in the US president’s first term. As FBI director, Comey had been leading an investigation into the Trump 2016 presidential campaign’s possible collusion with Russia.
Comey has been a sharp critic of his former boss, calling him “morally unfit” to lead in a 2018 interview.
Trump himself was accused of using Twitter posts to incite rioters, who attacked the US Capitol on 6 January 2021, to prevent the certification of Biden’s election victory.
Last year, Trump also posted on social media a video that featured an image of Biden, who was then president, with his hands and feet tied together in the back of a pickup truck.
For the latest from SBS News, and .
Share and Follow
FacebookXRedditPinterestWhatsApp
You May Also Like
World's longest flight officially completed after covering 12,400 miles in 29 hours

Record-Breaking 12,400-Mile Flight Concludes Successfully After 29 Hours Aloft

The inauguration of the world’s longest flight has captured attention as it…

How I Used My Superannuation at 25 to Invest in Future Fertility: A Personal Journey

The business of making babies is worth more than $820 million in…
Magnitude 7.2 quake strikes off Japan, triggering tsunami alert

Powerful 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off Japan Coast, Tsunami Alert Issued

A significant earthquake has jolted the northern coast of Japan, prompting authorities…
An Adelaide bottle shop was the scene of a violent robbery yesterday, resulting in injuries to both a 75-year-old customer and a 22-year-old staff member.

Teens Arrested Following Violent Bottle Shop Robbery Injuring Worker and Elderly Patron

In a distressing incident yesterday, an Adelaide bottle shop became the setting…

NSW Bushfire Victims Finally Receive Aid: Unlocked Disaster Payments Offer New Hope

Janice Rattray has lived in her home in Koolewong on the NSW…
Kremlin praises new US security strategy, continues attacking Ukraine

Kremlin Approves US Security Strategy Amid Ongoing Ukraine Conflict

In a recent development, Russia expressed approval of the Trump administration’s latest…
Police searching for mum and son in Western Australia

Urgent Search Underway: Western Australia Police Seek Missing Mother and Son

Authorities in Western Australia are deeply concerned about the well-being of a…

Tragic Death of Cleveland Dodd in Youth Detention Highlights Justice System Failures

Warning: This article contains the name and image of an Aboriginal person…