Former FBI Director James Comey is now at the centre of a federal investigation following a social media post that has sparked outrage and political tension. On 15 May 2025, Comey uploaded an image on Instagram showing seashells arranged to form the number '8647', captioned innocuously: 'Cool shell formation on my beach walk.' The post was deleted within hours, but not before it had gone viral.
Observers quickly drew attention to the numbers. In American slang, '86' is commonly used to suggest eliminating someone. The '47' is widely interpreted as a reference to Donald Trump, who is currently campaigning to become the 47th President of the United States. The implication, many claimed, was far from innocent. Trump allies accused Comey of signalling support for harm against the former president.
