Political Outrage: Former FBI Director James Comey Suggests America '86' Donald Trump in 'Deeply Concerning' Post

Former FBI Director James Comey posted a controversial message online about President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 15, claiming America should get rid of the Republican for good.

“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” he captioned the now-deleted Instagram post of seashells spelling out “86 47.”

“86” is a term widely used in the restaurant industry when staff need to know what products are no longer in stock, while “47” represents Trump being the 47th president of America.

Comey’s post quickly ignited a firestorm among political figures, who went back and forth on whether or not the former FBI director, who Trump fired during his first term, was calling for violence, or worst-case scenario, an assassination against the president.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich expressed their opinion after Comey’s message went viral, saying his comment was “deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously” by officials.

“While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East, the former FBI Director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States — a message etched in the sand,” Budowich tweeted.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also took to X to express her concern, especially after Thomas Matthew Crooks attempted to assassinate Trump during a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024.

“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump. DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately,” Noem claimed in her tweet.

After plenty of criticism, Comey issued an apology to Trump, denying he intended any violence.

“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,” the former FBI director said. “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

However, Trump didn’t take to Comey’s innocence, claiming in an interview with Fox News on Friday, May 16, that the former FBI director knew “exactly what that meant” when he posted the image online.

“That meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear,” the president elaborated. “I don't want to take a position on it because that’s going to be up to Pam [Bondi] and all of the great people.”