James Comey, the former FBI director, is now under scrutiny after a controversial post that some say threatened Donald Trump
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Thursday that federal law
enforcement is reviewing a since-deleted social media post by former FBI
Director James Comey, which some Republicans have interpreted as inciting
violence against former President Donald Trump. Comey’s Instagram post featured
a photo of seashells arranged in what appeared to spell “86 47,” accompanied by
the caption: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Several Trump allies,
including Noem, claimed the numbers were a veiled call for Trump’s
assassination—referring to him as the 47th president. “DHS and the Secret
Service are investigating this threat and will respond accordingly,” Noem
stated. While Merriam-Webster (the dictionary used by The Associated Press)
defines “86” as slang for “to reject” or “remove,” it acknowledges a more
recent, less common usage meaning “to kill.” Comey later deleted the post and
clarified: “I shared a photo of shells that I thought formed a political
message—unaware some associate those numbers with violence. I oppose all
violence, so I removed it.” The post ignited backlash among conservatives, with
Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of advocating for his father’s death.
Comments
Post a Comment