Tulsi Gabbard says James Comey should be jailed for a beach post interpreted as a veiled threat against President Trump.

Gabbard Slams Comey Over Viral “86 47” Instagram Post

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for former FBI Director James Comey to be “put behind bars” after he posted a photo on Instagram interpreted by some as a veiled threat against President Donald Trump. The image, shared Thursday, showed seashells arranged to display the numbers “86 47.”

In informal slang, “86” is often used to denote the elimination or removal of someone, while “47” refers to Trump, the 47th president. Comey captioned the now-deleted post, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk…”

Appearing on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Gabbard said the post amounts to an indirect call to assassinate the sitting president. “The rule of law says people like him who issue direct threats against the POTUS… must be held accountable,” she stated. “I think he should be in jail.”

Comey later deleted the post and issued a statement saying he had not realized the numbers might be interpreted as violent. “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,” he said.

Gabbard rejected the explanation, arguing that intent is irrelevant when the message can be widely construed as dangerous. “I’m very concerned for the president’s life,” she said. “We’ve already seen assassination attempts.”

Secret Service and White House Respond

Following the backlash, a source with the U.S. Secret Service confirmed that the agency is aware of the incident and has dispatched agents to interview Comey. The FBI, which Comey once led before being fired by Trump, has not issued a public comment.

The White House also condemned Comey’s post. Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich issued a statement calling the image “deeply concerning.”

“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,” Budowich posted on X. “This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”

Gabbard added that Comey, given his former high-ranking position, still holds significant influence. “There are people who take him very seriously,” she said, warning of the potential real-world consequences of symbolic gestures shared on social media by influential figures.

The incident comes in the wake of two known assassination attempts on President Trump in the past year, heightening concerns about public threats against the commander-in-chief. As the Secret Service continues its probe, debate intensifies over where free expression ends and incitement begins in a hyperpolarized digital landscape.