Topline
President Donald Trump insisted FBI Director James Comey “knew exactly” what “86 47” meant when he posted a photo to Instagram of shells on the beach arranged to spell out the numerical message, despite Comey claiming he didn’t realize the slang associated with “86” suggested getting rid of Trump.
President Donald Trump addresses a business forum in Abu Dhabi on May 16, 2025. (Photo by GIUSEPPE … More
Key Facts
Trump said Friday in an interview with Fox News “he knew exactly what that meant, a child knows . . . that meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear.”
When asked by Fox News’ Bret Baier what he wanted to see happen to Comey, Trump refused to say, telling Baier it was up to federal law enforcement officials.
Comey captioned the initial image “cool shell formation on my beach walk,” but has since deleted it and posted an explanation as to why he removed it that said “it never occurred” to him the numbers were associated with violence, but that he opposes “violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said her agency and the Secret Service are investigating the post, accusing Comey of having “just called for the assassination” of the president.
What Does “86 47” Mean?
The informal definition of “eighty-six,” according to Merriam-Webster, is used by bartenders when referring to customers they’ll cut off and no longer serve. Broadly, it means to eject, dismiss or remove someone and can also mean to “get rid of” something. Trump is the 47th president.
Crucial Quote
“He wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant, and he did it for a reason,” Trump said, calling Comey a “bad cop” and telling Baier if Comey had a “clean history” he might be offered some leniency.
Key Background
Hired by former President Barack Obama in 2013, Comey investigated Trump’s 2016 campaign for collusion with the Russian government. Trump fired him in 2017. Comey also investigated Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server, though neither probe led him to recommend criminal charges. Comey, a senior fellow at the Kettering Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at promoting democracy, has written several thriller novels inspired by his time in law enforcement since leaving public office. He publicly backed Kamala Harris’ campaign and has continued to openly criticize Trump. In an op-ed in the Washington Post last year, he argued fears of violence from Trump’s supporters shouldn’t prevent him from facing consequences, writing “we must not let the idea of Trumpian violence become some kind of boogeyman, frightening us away from our commitment to the rule of law.”
Further Reading
Ex-FBI Chief Comey Under Investigation Over ‘86 47’ Post, Noem Says (Forbes)
