Trump Jr. Angrily Accuses James Comey of Calling For His Father to be ‘Murdered’

Former FBI Director James Comey sparked a wave of anger in MAGA world on Thursday when he posted a photo to Instagram that many interpreted as a call for violence against President Donald Trump.

Comey posted to his Instagram account a photo of shells spelling out the numbers “86” and “47” and captioned it, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Merriam Webster defines “86” as 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.”

Donald Trump Jr. and many others in the pro-Trump camp suggested Comey was calling for violence against the president. “Just James Comey causally calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!” Trump Jr. wrote on X. Comey later deleted the post and said it “never occurred to me” that the message was associated with violence.

Fox News’s Katie Pavlich offered a more tempered take, asking, “What is former FBI Director James Comey trying to say here, exactly?”

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowish replied, “While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East, the former FBI Director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as “a hit” on the sitting President of the United States—a message etched in the sand. This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) commented, “Disgraced former FBI Director James @Comey is calling for President Trump to be eliminated.” While fellow Arizonan Meghan McCain added, “Don’t know how this can be interpreted as any other way but a threat against President Trump. James Comey should at the very least get a visit from the secret service. Also is everyone mentally ill?”

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