Comey's Social Media Post Investigated 05/16 06:04

   Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that federal law 
enforcement is investigating a social media post made by former FBI Director 
James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a call for violence 
against President Donald Trump.

   WASHINGTON (AP) -- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday 
that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post made by 
former FBI Director James Comey that she and other Republicans suggest is a 
call for violence against President Donald Trump.

   In an Instagram post, Comey wrote "cool shell formation on my beach walk" 
under a picture of seashells that appeared to form the shapes for "86 47."

   Numerous Trump administration officials, including Noem, said Comey was 
advocating for the assassination of Trump, the 47th president. "DHS and Secret 
Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately," Noem 
wrote.

   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."

   The post has since been deleted. Comey subsequently wrote, "I posted earlier 
a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a 
political message. I didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with 
violence.

   "It never occurred to me," Comey added, "but I oppose violence of any kind 
so I took the post down."

   Comey's original post sparked outrage among conservatives on social media, 
with Donald Trump Jr. accusing Comey of calling for his father's killing.

   Current FBI Director Kash Patel said he was aware of the post and was 
conferring with the Secret Service and its director.

   James Blair, White House deputy chief of staff for legislative, political 
and public affairs, noted that the post came at a delicate time given that 
Trump is traveling in the Middle East.

   "This is a Clarion Call from Jim Comey to terrorists & hostile regimes to 
kill the President of the United States as he travels in the Middle East," 
Blair wrote on X.

   Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, was fired by Trump during the 
president's first term amid the bureau's probe into allegations of ties between 
Russian officials and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his 
career in the best-selling memoir "A Higher Loyalty."

   He is now a crime fiction writer and is promoting his latest book, "FDR 
Drive," which is being released on Tuesday.