8647 Is a Form of Silent Political Protest, but What Does It Actually Mean?

Another day, another TikTok trend that is hard to understand! Over the years, TikTok and other online platforms have given us trends involving seemingly nonsensical acronyms, as well as a few that feature numbers that are hard to wrap your head around.

Now, some on TikTok are posting the number "8647," and many want to know what the number means to those who are using it. Here's what you need to know about the number and its political connotations.

For those wondering, 8647 is intended as a silent form of protest, designed to signal opposition to President Donald Trump. It's actually a combination of two numbers that have different meanings. 86 is a number commonly used to mean something like "get rid of," and 47 is the number president that Trump is in his second term. He was also the 45th president, so those numbers get a little bit confusing.

Thus, 8647 means that the people who display it want to get rid of Trump, or make it so that he is no longer the president. The message is vague about how exactly these people want to do that, but it seems that the point is to signal that you don't want Trump to be in the White House. It's not a call for impeachment necessarily, or even an endorsement of some other candidate. It's just a signal of opposition.

On Thursday, May 15, 2025, former FBI Director James Comey quickly deleted an Instagram post showing seashells arranged to spell out the number "8647" after Republican figures alleged it was a veiled threat against Trump.

James originally captioned the photo, "Cool shell formation on my beach walk," but removed the post shortly after critics claimed the numbers could be interpreted as a coded call for violence. In a follow-up post, he said he believed the arrangement was "a political message," but emphasized that he did not endorse or promote violence.

Since then, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem accused Comey of inciting an assassination attempt, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that the Department of Homeland Security and the Secret Service were "investigating this threat and will respond appropriately." FBI Director Kash Patel added that his agency would "provide all necessary support" for the investigation.

Although displaying 8647 on your social media accounts or your bumper might not lead to any direct change, it is an important reminder that there are many people across the country who are opposed to the president and his policies.

These kinds of signifiers cross all kinds of political lines, from "Don't Tread on Me" t-shirts and "Blue Lives Matter" flags. Sure, they don't represent a direct action, but they indicate something about a person's beliefs.

It's unclear whether 8647 will take off to such an extent that it becomes divisive, but it's just one kind of action that people who are unhappy with the state of the U.S. government can take. As the meaning behind the numbers continues to spread online, more and more people are adopting it as a signal about what you believe and the kind of America you hope to live in.

It hasn't yet traveled far enough to cause any sort of controversy, but there has always been opposition to the president, regardless of what party they're in. You still see "Let's Go Brandon!" stickers around, and Joe Biden is not likely to ever be in any elected office again.

The number combination 8647 is really not a big deal, and it's subtle enough that there are some people who have no idea what it even means. For those who do know, though, it can be a good reminder that America is still a closely divided country filled with people who love Trump, and other people who can't stand him.