FBI Claims Threats to Assassinate Trump Have Soared As 'Copycats' Unite After James Comey's '8647' Post Put President's Life on The Line
'Copycats' are trying to take out Donald Trump following James Comey's '8647' post.
May 29 2025, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
James Comey's now-deleted "8647" Instagram post has led to a rise in assassination threats against President Trump, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
In an interview with Fox News, FBI Director Kash Patel claims the bureau has been slammed by a huge uptick in threats, as agents have now had to drop other concerning issues.
Backlash has fueled debate over Trump's health secretary being fit to serve.
"Do you know how many copycats we’ve had to investigate as a result of that beachside venture from the former director?" Patel told Bret Baier during the interview.
Earlier this month, former FBI Director Comey posted a photo featuring seashells on a beach arranged to form the numbers "8647." In the hospitality world, the term "86" means to "get rid" of something.
However, it has also been used by the mafia to describe a grave eight feet long and six feet deep.
And "47" of course could have signified the 47th president, Trump.
FBI Director Kash Patel blamed Comey for the threats on the president's life.
Patel added: "Do you know how many agents I’ve had to take offline from chasing down child sex predators, fentanyl traffickers, terrorists Because everywhere across this country people are popping up on social media and think that a threat to the life of the president of the United States is a joke… and they can do it because (Comey) did it?"
The 45-year-old also revealed the agency has had to "deal with this every single day," and suggested Comey thought it was "funny" to share the seashell post.
Two attempts to take out Trump, 78, have already been documented, including during a rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024.
2 Attempts To Take Out Trump
The incident left two people dead: the shooter, 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks, and spectator Corey Comperatore. Trump was left with a bloodied ear in a now-famous photo.
Two months later, a man named Ryan Wesley Routh set up a "sniper's nest" on the fence at Trump's West Palm Beach golf course before he was stopped by Secret Service and arrested.
In a note "to the world," following the attempt, Routh wrote: "This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump, but I am so sorry I failed you.
"I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job, and I will offer $150,000 to whoever can complete the job."
Comey found the post 'funny' according to Patel.
Trump was also previously briefed by U.S. intelligence officials about "real and specific assassination threats" posed by the government of Iran.
"Make no mistake, the terror regime in Iran loves the weakness of Kamala Harris, and is terrified of the strength and resolve of President Trump," the president's campaign said at the time.
"He will let nothing stop him or get in his way to fight for the American people and to Make America Great Again."
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Two assassination attempts on Trump's life occurred in 2024.
Patel and Comey, 64, have never been on the same page, as Comey recently appeared on CNN to call out the new FBI Director's decisions, and claimed he "has literally nothing in his entire adult life that prepares him for this role."
Comey added he "feels a little bit sorry" for Patel, and compared him to a dog that caught a car and "now he has to drive it."
However, during his Fox News interview, Patel hit back and said the criticism did not bother him.
"(I've been) living rent-free in that guy's head for years," Patel said.
