President Donald Trump lashed out Friday against ex-FBI Director James Comey over an Instagram post that contained an image that top Trump officials claimed was a threat.
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Comey showed a photo of “8647” written in seashells in sand, with the caption “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Some far-right allies of Trump, including Laura Loomer, have alleged that Comey is calling for violence against the president.
To “86” something, however, has fairly broad interpretations as a slang term — and can simply mean to nix or “get rid”of’ something, according to Merriam-Webster.
Comey says he figured the message in the shells’ placement was political, but said he didn’t realize it called for violence against Trump.
“It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind,” Comey said in another post on Instagram.
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Trump, however, in an interview except aired Friday, told Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” that he doesn’t buy Comey’s explanation.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination,” the president said.
Trump fired Comey in his first administration and the president claimed Comey still has an axe to grind.
“Well, he apologized because he was hit — he’s a very bad guy,” Trump said.
David Kelley, an attorney representing Comey, declined to comment on the matter.
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The president did not take a position on whether Comey, whom he labeled a “dirty cop,” should be investigated, saying he would defer to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday in an X post that the U.S. Secret Service is looking into Comey’s post.
“Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUS Trump,” she said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service said the agency is aware of the posts and it takes “rhetoric like this very seriously.”
“The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” Anthony Guglielm said in a statement.
Derek Mayer, the former Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago field office, told ABC News that an investigation would likely include an interview of the subject who made the threat.
“The Secret Service would also interview close associates of the subject to determine if the person has had any rapid change or decline in their mental health, access to weapons, travel status and overall well being,” he said.
FBI Director Kash Patel also said he was aware of the post and was providing support to Noem’s efforts.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard called for Comey to be imprisoned.
“Any other person with a position of influence that he has, people who take very seriously what a guy of his stature, his experience and what the propaganda media has built him up to be, I’m very concerned for the president’s life,” she told Fox News host Jesse Waters.
She said Comey should be put “behind bars.”
ABC News’ Jack Date contributed to this report.
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