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Former FBI Director James Comey recently recounted an intriguing episode from his tenure at the FBI, highlighting a rather awkward moment during a 2016 briefing. He mentioned that a reference he made to a Beyoncé song was met with a room full of blank stares from his colleagues.
Comey shared this anecdote via a video he posted on his Substack account this past Sunday.
Leading the FBI from 2013 until his dismissal in 2017 under President Donald Trump’s administration, Comey’s recent comments surface in the wake of a federal judge dismissing charges against him in a 2025 indictment. He was accused of making false statements and obstructing justice during his 2020 Senate testimony. The Justice Department plans to appeal this ruling.
In May 2025, Comey found himself amid controversy after sharing an Instagram photo featuring seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47.” At that time, Breitbart News suggested that “86” could imply “eliminate” and “47” might refer to Trump, who was the subject of two unsuccessful assassination attempts during his 2024 presidential campaign against former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Comey later took down the post and clarified his intentions, stating, “Earlier, I posted a picture of some shells I saw during a beach walk, thinking they were a political message. I was unaware that some people associate those numbers with violence. I am against any form of violence, so I decided to remove the post.”
Comey led the FBI from 2013 until he was fired in 2017 during President Donald Trump’s first administration. His remarks come months after a federal judge dismissed a 2025 indictment charging him with making false statements and obstruction of justice related to his 2020 Senate testimony, a ruling the Justice Department has indicated it will appeal.
In May 2025, Comey faced backlash after posting a photo on Instagram showing shells arranged in the numbers “86 47.” As Breitbart News reported at the time, the image showed a shell formation appearing as “86 47,” with “86” possibly meaning “eliminate” and “47” potentially meaning Trump. Trump had been the target of two failed assassination attempts in 2024 as he ran for president against former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Comey later removed the post and remarked in a follow-up statement: “I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message. I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence … I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Following public reaction, comments on Comey’s Instagram account were disabled.