The Secret Service is investigating former FBI Director James Comey after he was accused Thursday of calling for violence against President Trump in a since-deleted Instagram post.
Comey, who was fired by Trump early in his first term, had posted an image of seashells arranged in the shape of the numerals “8647.”
The number “86” is commonly used as slang to mean getting rid of something or ejecting someone — especially in restaurant and bar settings when referring to menu items. Trump is the 47th president of the US.
“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” the FBI chief-turned-crime novelist captioned the post.
Trump administration officials and the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., interpreted Comey’s post as a death threat against the commander in chief.
“While President Trump is currently on an international trip to the Middle East, the former FBI Director puts out what can clearly be interpreted as ‘a hit’ on the sitting President of the United States — a message etched in the sand,” White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X. “This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”
“Just James Comey causally [sic] calling for my dad to be murdered,” Trump Jr. tweeted, sharing a screenshot of the former FBI director’s Instagram post. “This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that the Secret Service is now involved in the matter.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” Noem wrote on X. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”
Comey, who launched the investigation into allegations of collusion between Russia and Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign — which rested on debunked intelligence from the infamous Steele dossier — claims he “didn’t realize” some would view the post as a call for violence.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” Comey said in a statement, posted on Instagram. “ I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence.”
“It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Trump, 78, was shot in the ear last July during a failed assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., that left two others seriously injured and one person dead.
Two months later, another would-be assassin hid in the bushes outside the president’s Palm Beach, Fla., golf course, armed with a rifle, as Trump played a round of golf. His alleged plans to shoot and kill the then-Republican presidential candidate were foiled by a quick-thinking Secret Service agent who spotted the man’s rifle and opened fire on him.
The Secret Service and Comey’s publisher did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
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