Ex-FBI boss questioned by Secret Service over seashell post linked to Trump

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey was interviewed by the U.S. Secret Service on Friday after posting — and then deleting — a photo on Instagram that sparked outrage among Republicans, who interpreted it as a veiled threat against US President Donald Trump.

The image, which showed seashells arranged to spell "8647," was shared on Comey’s account with the caption, “Cool shell formation,” before being removed hours later.

The number "86" is sometimes used as slang for "eliminate" or "kill," while "47" is a reference to Trump, the 47th president of the United States.

Comey voluntarily met with Secret Service agents for roughly an hour at the agency’s Washington headquarters. He was not detained and has not been charged with any crime.

President Trump, speaking to Fox News before the Secret Service interview, accused Comey of calling for his assassination.

“He knew exactly what that meant,” Trump said. “A child knows what that meant... That meant assassination.”

Trump added that any decision on potential charges would be left to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

In a follow-up post, Comey claimed he had come across the shells on a beach walk and believed they had been arranged by someone else.

“I assumed it was 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 down the post.”

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Friday evening on X that Comey had been interviewed, describing the post as “calling for the assassination of President Trump” and stating the probe remains ongoing.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for Comey to be jailed, accusing him of “issuing a hit” on the president during Trump’s diplomatic tour of the Middle East.

The controversy centers around the evolving usage of “86” in U.S. slang. Historically a restaurant industry term meaning to cancel or reject, in some online spaces the phrase has been interpreted as a coded reference to murder. — Agencies