Ex-FBI director deletes Instagram post of shells in ‘8647’ formation that Republicans claim is code for assassination

A photo of seashells posted on Instagram by the former FBI director James Comey is now being investigated by the US Secret Service, after the US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said it constituted a “threat” against Donald Trump.

On Thursday, Comey posted a photo of seashells forming the message “8647”, with a caption that read: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”

Trump’s supporters have interpreted the message as an endorsement of violence against Trump – the 47th president. There is more debate around the use of 86, a slang term often used in restaurants to mean getting rid of or throwing something out, and which, according to Merriam-Webster, has been used more recently, albeit sparingly, to mean “to kill”.

  • Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world
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    6 minutes ago

    I mean… there are 2 definitions when you say you want to “ice” someone.

    1 definition is that you want to end their current existence. The other definition is that you want to…wait a second…

    • FrChazzz@lemm.ee
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      2 hours ago

      Remember when they were covering the tail gates of their trucks in vinyl wrap depicting Joe Biden as hog-tied in the back of their trucks?

  • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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    11 hours ago

    MAGA investigation:

    Sea Shells 8647.

    Hmmmm. French for “sea” is “mare” - “M” Shells are “S” Numbers are basically 13…

    OMG - MS13! He’s in a gang!

  • 800XL@lemmy.world
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    12 hours ago

    They’re all in that kind of mindset because they’re constantly throwing around numbers that are white power dog whistles

    • SippyCup@feddit.nl
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      4 hours ago

      I’m pretty sure someone arranged the shells this way, the same way someone puts a sticker on a lightpole that says “eat the rich.” The kind of thing that exists somewhere in between instruction and wishing.

      Comey saw it, thought it was neat, and posted it not knowing what it was.

      Which is idiotic of an FBI director. But nothing more.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works
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        10 minutes ago

        I think it’s pretty obvious that the sea arranged the shells because it is angry about the deep sea drilling.

  • Absaroka@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    One of the things I enjoy is MAGAts, who like calling left leaning people “snowflakes,” losing their shit every time somebody says something they don’t like.

    Feels like this should become a slogan. “86 Trump!”

    Why?

    Well the term originates from soda-counter slang that meant an item sold out, and has grown to mean “throw out,” “get rid of” and “refuse service to” according to the Merriam-Webster - the dictionary people.

    Eighty-six is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of,” or “to refuse service to.” It comes from 1930s soda-counter slang meaning that an item was sold out. There is varying anecdotal evidence about why the term eighty-six was used, but the most common theory is that it is rhyming slang for nix.

    Wikipedia adds some more context:

    In the hospitality industry, it is used to indicate that an item is no longer available, traditionally from a food or drinks establishment, or referring to a person or people who are not welcome on the premises. Its etymology is unknown, but the term seems to have been coined in the 1920s or 1930s.

    Military personnel might use “86” informally to refer to scrapping equipment (e.g., “That old radio got 86’d”) or ending a plan or mission (e.g., “The op was 86’d due to bad weather”). It’s not an official term in military doctrine or manuals, but it’s part of the informal jargon that soldiers, sailors, or airmen might pick up and use, influenced by broader civilian language.

  • MedicsOfAnarchy@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    I would think that if an FBI director wanted a person dead, you’d be hearing about how he did it, rather than how he desired it.

    Also, I once used seashells to write “69ME”, but nothing happened, to my disappointment.

  • Wilco@lemm.ee
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    15 hours ago

    Yea, 86 Trump. Come at me feds. It means “throw this thing away” and they fucking know it.

  • burgerpocalyse@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    sure its important to be in opposition to the trump regime, but i also really really hate jim come for probably making Hilary Clinton lose in 2016 and also throwing Martha Stewart in prison, so if he gets sent to the gulag i won’t be very upset

    • Zess@lemmy.world
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      10 hours ago

      Yeah let’s not forget Comey is an idiot just because the fascists hate him now. He knew what the picture meant too.

  • Luouth@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Next it will be “Fauci under investigation for death threat to Trump as he posts a picture of an orange with a cocktail stick in it”