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Missouri House candidate Bekki Brewer is pushing back against claims that an “8647” sign pictured alongside her advocated violence against President Donald Trump, saying it referred to the 25th Amendment and that she has “never and will never” support political violence.
The photo shows Brewer, the Democratic candidate for Missouri House District 44, standing next to a man holding the sign. It went viral after the conservative social media account Libs of TikTok posted it Tuesday, writing the sign “symbolizes killing” Trump. The shorthand has become an anti-Trump protest slogan and has drawn federal scrutiny over whether it constitutes a threat against the president
“The sign in the photo was referring to the 25th Amendment. It was not a call for political violence,” Brewer told Newsweek in a statement Tuesday.
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Brewer said the amendment provides a process for transferring presidential powers when a president is unable to carry out the duties of office, adding: “I fully support invoking that amendment when necessary.”
Her post was later removed; Libs of TikTok shared a follow-up pointing out the deletion and tagging the FBI, as did several users in the replies.
“I understand that people who see a photo online may not have the full context, but I’m not going to let a photo or the outrage surrounding it distract from why I decided to run,” she added.
What Does “8647” Mean?
The phrase “8647” combines “86,” long-standing slang for getting rid of or ejecting something, with “47,” a reference to Trump’s status as the 47th president.
The phrase drew national attention in May 2025 after former FBI Director James Comey posted a photo showing seashells arranged on a beach to read “86 47.”
Comey later deleted it, saying he was unaware of any violent meaning behind the numbers. A federal grand jury indicted him in April over the post.
“Threatening the life of the President of the United States is a grave violation of our nation’s laws,” then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said following the indictment.
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The slogan has also prompted a federal investigation on the National Mall.
In June, authorities discovered a massive “8647” marking etched into the grass near the Washington Monument. The Interior Department called it vandalism and said “any threat against the President is taken very seriously.”
Later that month, “8647” was also scrawled onto a Texas exhibit at the Great American State Fair, prompting an investigation and its removal. A spokesperson for Texas Governor Greg Abbott told Newsweek the marking was “disgusting anti-Trump political graffiti.”
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Later Tuesday, Brewer addressed the photo in a Facebook post, writing that she would be at a community forum in Centralia this weekend to answer questions.
Brewer said her campaign has been focused on how best to help the community and that she wants to keep the focus there.
“I won’t allow a loud minority to steer the conversation away from this,” Brewer wrote.
Brewer is the Democratic candidate for Missouri House District 44 in the November 3 general election.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Anna Commander and Gray R. Thomas
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