Fact Check: The Secret Service surveilled Comey as if he were an active threat.

Fact Check: "The Secret Service surveilled Comey as if he were an active threat."

What We Know

Following a social media post by former FBI Director James Comey in May 2025, the Secret Service conducted surveillance on him, which included tracking his cellphone and following him in unmarked cars. This action was reportedly taken after Comey posted a picture of seashells arranged in a formation that some interpreted as a threat against President Trump, specifically the numbers "86 47," which can be slang for "to kill" and refers to Trump as the 47th president (New York Times, AP News).

The Secret Service, citing "exigent circumstances," justified the surveillance, although it is unclear what those circumstances were (New York Times). Former officials noted that such a level of surveillance is typically reserved for individuals who are considered an imminent threat to protectees, which Comey was not (Daily Beast, Mediaite).

Comey later deleted the post and stated he did not intend to incite violence, emphasizing his opposition to any form of violence (AP News). Despite this, the Secret Service proceeded with their investigation, which was reportedly not requested by the White House (New York Times).

Analysis

The claim that the Secret Service surveilled Comey as if he were an active threat is supported by multiple credible sources, including the New York Times and AP News, which detail the nature of the surveillance and the context surrounding it. The Secret Service's actions were described as "huge overkill" by legal experts, indicating that the level of scrutiny applied to Comey was disproportionate given his lack of a violent history and the absence of any credible threat (New York Times, Daily Beast).

However, it's important to note that while the Secret Service did surveil Comey, the justification for this action was based on interpretations of his social media post, which many—including Comey himself—disputed as a misunderstanding (AP News). The sources reporting on this incident are largely reputable, though they may carry some bias given the politically charged nature of the events surrounding Comey and Trump.

Conclusion

The claim that "The Secret Service surveilled Comey as if he were an active threat" is Partially True. While it is accurate that the Secret Service conducted extensive surveillance on Comey following his social media post, the characterization of him as an "active threat" is misleading. The surveillance was based on a controversial interpretation of his post, and experts have criticized the response as excessive given the lack of any real threat posed by Comey.

Fact Check: The Secret Service surveilled Comey as if he were an active threat.