James Comey says he’s just a sweater-wearing grandfather who likes beach walks and has no idea why people are furious over a photo of seashells.The former FBI director responded this week to the controversy surrounding a now-deleted Instagram post that many interpreted as a threat to US President Donald Trump. In the post, Comey had shared an image of shells arranged to spell out “86 47” — a combination some interpreted as meaning “get rid of the 47th president.”“I was a grandfather and an author wearing sweaters and jeans. And then went for a walk on the beach and posted a silly picture of shells,” Comey said. Comey said each number was made of differently coloured shells and that he didn’t believe there were any “dark intentions” on his or his wife’s part.He denied that the post was a threat and said it never occurred to him that people might see it that way. “We were walking along the beach and we saw on the sand someone had arranged shells with numbers. I thought 86 meant to ditch a place,” Comey said.The number 86 is sometimes used as slang for “getting rid of” something or someone, while 47 refers to Donald Trump’s current term as the 47th president of the United States.Comey insisted there was no hidden meaning in the post. “All for walking on the beach with my wife. So I don’t know how we ended up here. Never occurred to me that it was any kind of controversial thing, but that’s the time we live in,” he said.In a follow-up Instagram message after deleting the post, Comey wrote: “I didn’t realise 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.”Critics slam Comey over 86 47 postDonald Trump Jr. wrote, “Just James Comey casually calling for my dad to be murdered. This is who the Dem-Media worships. Demented!!!!”Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed in a social media post that Comey’s message amounted to a direct threat. “Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey just called for the assassination of @POTUSTrump,” she wrote. “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”A spokesperson for the Secret Service confirmed they were aware of the posts but would not comment on any ongoing investigation. “The Secret Service vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees,” they said in a statement.FBI Director Kash Patel also said his agency was working with the Secret Service. “Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support,” Patel said.Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News that Comey should be behind bars. “I’m very concerned for his life,” she said, referring to President Trump. “And James Comey in my view should be held accountable and put behind bars for this.”Comey led the FBI during investigations into both Hillary Clinton’s emails and alleged Russian interference in the 2016 US election. He was dismissed by Donald Trump in 2017.
