‘That Meant Assassination’: Trump Says Comey Knew ‘Exactly’ What ’86’ Post Implied

President Donald Trump said Friday that former FBI Director James Comey knew what he was doing when he posted a picture on social media that was interpreted by many as a threat against his life.

Trump was responding to a picture Comey posted on Instagram showing seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers “86” and “47” with the caption “cool shell formation on my walk.” Trump officials have initiated investigations into Comey, as “86” can be used as slang for killing someone, and Trump is the 47th president. Comey deleted the post, saying that he did not mean to imply that Trump should be killed and that he assumed the shells were a “political message.”

“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant… that meant assassination,” Trump told Fox News in an interview. “And it says it loud and clear. Now he wasn’t very confident but he was confident enough to know what that meant.”

🚨 @POTUS on former FBI Director James Comey’s “86 47” threat: “He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant … That meant ‘assassination.'” pic.twitter.com/LfOHKfSOFa

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025

“He did it for a reason and he was hit so hard because people like me and they like what’s happening with our country,” Trump added. “Our country’s become respected again and all this. And he’s calling for the assassination of the president.”

When Fox News host Bret Baier asked what he would like to see happen to Comey, Trump said he would leave it up to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said. “If he had a clean history, he doesn’t, he’s a dirty cop, he’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there’s a leniency, but I’m going to let them make that decision.”

Comey removed the post after backlash, saying he was unaware of the association of “86” with violence.

“I posted a picture earlier of some shells I saw on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey said. “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Thursday that she believed that Comey should be put in jail for the post, saying that he was essentially issuing a call for Trump to be assassinated.

Trump survived two assassination attempts while campaigning last year, including one where a bullet struck him in the ear during a rally in Pennsylvania.