Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on Thursday that federal law enforcement agencies are examining a social media post by ex-FBI Director James Comey, which she and fellow Republicans allege incites violence against President Donald Trump.

In a recent Instagram post, Comey captioned a photo of seashells arranged to resemble the numbers "86 47" with the laconic observation, "cool shell formation on my beach walk."

Several former Trump administration figures, among them Noem, alleged that Comey was inciting the assassination of Trump, the 47th president, with Noem stating, "The DHS and Secret Service are investigating this potential threat and will respond accordingly."

According to Merriam-Webster, the dictionary of record for The Associated Press, the slang term "86" signifies discarding, eliminating, or denying service; the dictionary acknowledges a nascent, albeit infrequent, extension of the term to denote "killing," but withholds formal entry due to its limited currency.

The aforementioned post has since been removed. Comey later elaborated, "Earlier, I shared an image of shells encountered during a beach stroll, mistakenly interpreting it as a politically charged statement. I was unaware of the association some individuals make between those numerals and acts of violence."

Comey's initial social media post ignited a firestorm of indignation amongst conservatives, with Donald Trump Jr. alleging that Comey had effectively issued a call for his father's assassination.

Kash Patel, the incumbent FBI Director, acknowledged his cognizance of the post and stated that he was in consultation with the Secret Service and its director.

James Blair, White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Legislative, Political and Public Affairs, observed that the appointment coincided with a sensitive juncture, considering Trump's ongoing tour of the Middle East.

Blair's post on X was interpreted by some as a provocative incitement, with implications that Jim Comey's actions could embolden terrorists and adversarial governments to target the President during his Middle East tour.

Ousted from his post as FBI Director by Trump in 2017 during the nascent stages of the Bureau's investigation into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives, James Comey, who headed the FBI from 2013, later chronicled his experiences in the critically acclaimed memoir, "A Higher Loyalty."

Now a crime fiction author, he is currently promoting his latest novel, "FDR Drive," scheduled for release on Tuesday.