Former FBI chief accused of threatening Trump’s life

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on the social media platform X (Twitter): "The Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service are investigating this threat and will respond appropriately."

As reported by Anadolu Agency, this statement from the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary came after James Comey, former FBI Director, posted an image on Instagram suggesting the elimination of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Comey, who was removed from his position during Trump’s first term, used seashells in the image to display the numbers 86 and 47. In restaurant slang, "86" means to eliminate or remove an item from the menu, while 47 refers to the 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.

Although the former FBI Director quickly deleted the image from his Instagram, it rapidly spread across social media and the internet.

Donald Trump Jr., Trump’s son, scrutinized the image and wrote: “This is the same James Comey who usually wanted my father dead.”

Comey later issued a separate statement on Instagram, emphasizing that the image was a mistake, writing: “Today, I shared an image of some seashells I saw on the beach, but I didn’t think it carried a political message.”

He continued in his statement: “I didn’t realize that some people would associate these numbers with violence. It never crossed my mind, but I am against any form of violence, so I deleted the post.”

Meanwhile, Dan Scavino, Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, sharply criticized Comey, calling him unfit and unacceptable.

Scavino wrote on X: “While Comey knew what those numbers meant, there’s no doubt he knew exactly what he was doing. He travels freely to various countries while being accused of involvement in an attempt to assassinate U.S. President Donald Trump. Don’t let him escape.”