Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen stated on Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey. She and other Republicans suggest the post incites violence against President Donald Trump.

In an Instagram post, Comey described "a cool arrangement of shells I saw while walking on the beach," along with a photo of the shells arranged in a way that looked like the numbers "86 47."

Several individuals connected to the Trump administration, including Noem, claimed that Comey was encouraging the assassination of President Trump, who is the 47th President. Noem stated that the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service were looking into this potential threat and would respond accordingly.

According to Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by the Associated Press, "86" is slang that means to get rid of something or refuse to serve someone. The dictionary also notes that a more recent meaning, logically extended from the others, is "to kill," but this meaning is new and not very common, so it's not included in the main definition.

The post was later taken down. Following this, Comey wrote, "Earlier today, I shared a picture of shells I found while walking on the beach, unaware that it would be seen as a political message. I didn't expect some people would link the number to violence."

Comey's original post, which seemed to accuse Donald Trump Jr. of suggesting his father should be killed, sparked outrage among conservatives on social media.

The current FBI Director, Kash Patel, has said he is aware of the post and is discussing it with the Secret Service and its director.

James Blair, Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislation, Politics and Public Policy at the White House, pointed out that the post was sent at a very sensitive time, considering Trump was visiting the Middle East.

Blair wrote on X that it was a "clear warning from James Comey to terrorists and hostile governments, urging them to kill the US president who was visiting the Middle East."

James Comey, who was the director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, was fired by President Trump during his first term in office amidst an investigation into links between Russian officials and Trump's 2016 presidential campaign. Comey wrote about his experiences in his best-selling memoir, "A Higher Loyalty".

He currently works as a crime novelist and is promoting his newest book, "FDR Drive," which will be released on Tuesday.