Former FBI Director James Comey Investigated for Instagram Post Seen as Threat to Trump

The Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security are investigating former FBI Director James Comey for a social media post that many interpreted as a threat to President Donald Trump.

The Details: Comey on Thursday posted a photo on Instagram of seashells forming the numbers "8647," a combination that some believe signals a call for assassination. The numbers in the post were interpreted as "86," meaning "to get rid of," and "47," referring to Trump as the 47th president of the US. The White House, along with several Republican lawmakers and Trump allies, condemned the post. Comey deleted the post and stated that he did not realize the numbers were associated with violence.

For Context: Trump and Comey have a tumultuous history, with Comey being fired by Trump in May 2017. Comey later testified to Congress that Trump attempted to influence the FBI's investigation of alleged ties to Russia in the Trump campaign.

Key Quotes: White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich stated, "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."

How the Media Covered It: Fox News (Right bias) highlighted the White House's condemnation of the post and referred to it as an "attempt to put out a 'hit'" on Trump, adding "'86' is frequently used as a call sign for murdering or getting rid of someone." In contrast, Associated Press (Left) said,"Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning 'to throw out,' 'to get rid of' or 'to refuse service to.' It notes: 'Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.'” NBC News (Lean Left) reported on the investigation but noted that Comey denied his post was a threat. Newsweek (Center) emphasized the confusion and concern the post caused, presenting both Comey's explanation and the reactions from Trump's allies.

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