Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-AR) has formally requested that FBI Director Kash Patel launch an investigation into former FBI Director James Comey, following a cryptic social media post reading “86 47,” which was widely interpreted by some as a potential threat against President Donald Trump.
Comey, who served as FBI director after being appointed by former President Barack Obama until he was fired by Trump in 2017, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a photo of seashells arranged to read “86 47.”
The number 86 is a common term used in the hospitality industry as well as in the military and intelligence communities. It can mean cancelling an order or to “kill, murder, or execute judicially,” according to Cassell’s Dictionary of Slang.
Comey deleted the post after receiving accusations that he was calling for the assassination of the president, and issued the following mea culpa, which Trump and many of his allies have rejected completely: ““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 but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Patel subsequently announced that he had been made aware of Comey’s suspicious post, stating that his bureau is “in communication” with the Secret Service and Director Sean Curran. Comey has since been questioned by the Secret Service, according to reports, but the outcome of those discussions remains unclear.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on X that DHS and the Secret Service are “investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
As first reported by Breitbart News, Cotton sent a letter on Friday to Patel asking him to review all FBI actions “in which former Director James Comey was personally involved.”
Cotton’s letter went on to note that Comey has “politicized investigations, been at the center of leaks, and obviously shown bias against the Trump administration and supporters.” The Arkansas Republican then brought up Trump’s own response to Comey’s initial post, in which he said “86 47” was a call for “an assassination.”
“He knew what that meant,” Trump told host Bret Baier on Friday. “A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear. He wasn’t very competent, but competent enough to know what that meant. He did it for a reason and he was hit so hard because people like me and like what was happening with our country. All this, he is calling for assassination of the president.”
Trump added, “I don’t want to take a position on it, it will be up to Pam [Bondi] and all the great people. I will say, I think it is a terrible thing. When you add his history to that, if he had a clean history, he doesn’t, he’s a dirty cop. If he had a clean history, I could understand if there was leniency, I will let them make that decision.”
Cotton’s letter quoted Trump, noting “in the words of President Trump, ‘he knew exactly what it meant.’”
Cotton also thanked the Secret Service for its prompt response to the perceived threat.
One congressional source told Brietbart: “James Comey is looking at subpoenas and if he doesn’t comply, he could face criminal charges. Republicans in Congress aren’t going to let this slide.”
“Thankfully, President Trump has allies like Tom Cotton who will stand up to deranged and disgraced James Comey,” another source said.
