Ex-FBI chief James Comey accused of plotting Trump assassination after ‘8647’ post

Former FBI Director James Comey was accused of calling for President Donald Trump's ‘assassination’

Updated on: May 16, 2025, 03:12:36 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Former FBI Director James Comey was accused of calling for President Donald Trump's ‘assassination’ after he posted a shell formation image, reading ‘8647’, on Instagram. The president's eldest son, Trump Jr, was among the first ones to make the allegations on social media. Comey has not responded to the claims yet.

Former FBI chief James Comey was accused of plotting Trump's assassination (File/AP)

Comey, on Thursday, posted a photo from the beach. He had discovered a formation out of seashells, appearing to look like ‘8647’. The 64-year-old wrote in the caption: ‘Cool shell formation on my beach walk’.

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A post shared by James Comey (@comey)

Soon after Comey's post was out, it went viral. Several social media users claimed that the former FBI head was calling for President Trump's assassination.

“Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!” Donald Trump Jr wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

“Former FBI Director James Comey @Comey just posted this on his Instagram 2 hours ago, with the caption “cool shell formation on my beach walk”. It’s a pic of shells in the form of “86 47”. This is a call for the assassination of President Trump by the former FBI Director!” staunch Trump supporter Laura Loomer tweeted.

“I trust everyone is clocking what former FBI Dir James Comey is implying here (posted to Instagram at roughly 3:30 PM EST today) because it ain't good. This is 100% a plea for someone to murder Trump,” a third person added.

One social media user asked xAI agent Grok about the meaning of the numbers 8647. The bot said: "The breakdown is "86" meaning "get rid of" and "47" referring to the 47th president—Donald Trump, in his second term as of 2025. So, 8647 signals opposition to Trump, a sentiment that aligns with Comey’s rocky history with him."

However, there is no concrete evidence to back the assassination or murder claims. The White House is yet to respond to these claims on social media.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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