The Secret Service questioned James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, on Friday about a social media post he made that Mr. Trump’s cabinet officials and allies claimed amounted to a call for Mr. Trump’s assassination, according to a law enforcement official.
The Secret Service sought the interview after Mr. Comey posted a photo on Thursday of seashells on a beach forming the numbers “86 47,” a phrase used by Mr. Trump’s critics at protests, and on signs and clothing. “Eighty-six,” according to Merriam-Webster, is an old slang term meaning to dismiss or remove.
Shortly after Mr. Comey made the post, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said the Secret Service, which falls under her department, was investigating it. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said on Fox News that Mr. Comey should be jailed.
The interview is said to have taken place at a Secret Service office in Washington. Mr. Comey is said to have voluntarily consented to the interview, the official said, and was driven to the interview by Secret Service agents.
Critics of Mr. Trump’s administration have said that his officials have blown Mr. Comey’s post out of proportion and are using it as a way to harass one of Mr. Trump’s perceived enemies.
The Service Service investigates multiple threats a day to people it protects, but it is uncommon for senior administration officials like Ms. Noem and Ms. Gabbard to comment publicly.
Mr. Comey has long been a target of Mr. Trump’s ire, dating to early in the first Trump presidency. Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey as F.B.I. director in May 2017 as the bureau was investigating whether Mr. Trump’s advisers colluded with the Russian government to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Eileen Sullivan is a Times reporter covering the changes to the federal work force under the Trump administration.
Michael S. Schmidt is an investigative reporter for The Times covering Washington. His work focuses on tracking and explaining high-profile federal investigations.
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