Former FBI Director James Comey deleted a post about seeing shells on a beach that were aligned to read "8647" and has since sparked a wave of jokes and memes online amid the fierce backlash. Newsweek previously reached out to Comey via his book website by email on Thursday.

Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino bashed James Comey over his controversial "8647" post, saying the FBI is now dealing with copycats.

Former FBI Director James Comey has ignited a firestorm of controversy after posting an image on Instagram depicting the numbers '8647'. The post, which has since been deleted, showed a collection of shells arranged to display the sequence.

There has been a certain escalatory logic in the resistance to Donald Trump’s rise to the presidency. In the very beginning, when few took him seriously, they laughed at him.

Whatever James Comey's intention was, it was remarkably irresponsible for a former head of the FBI to post "8647" on social media.

On Thursday, Comey posted on Instagram a photo of seashells on a beach that were arranged to form the message “8647,” an apparent reference to the 47th president. “Cool shell formation on my ...

Homeland Security Kristi Noem swiftly claimed Comey was calling for Trump’s assassination and announced DHS and the US Secret Service were investigating. Intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard called it “a veiled call to action to murder the president of the United States.”

The Department of Homeland Security is investigating a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey that suggested someone should “86” President Donald Trump. The White House said the post is “deeply concerning” and is “being taken seriously.

U.S. law enforcement officials said on Thursday they were looking into a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey depicting an image of "8647," which some Trump supporters interpreted as a threat against President Donald Trump.