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FORMER FBI chief James Comey has sparked fury after sharing a beach photo that has been perceived as a threat toward Donald Trump.
Comey shared a picture of seashells laid out in the code 8647.
In the US, the number 86 refers to an item being taken off the menu or “killed,” and Trump is the 47th president.
Comey has since deleted the post, but it sparked a wave of backlash from Trump’s family and the US Government.
Kristi Noem, the head of Homeland Security, warned that she and the Secret Service will launch a probe.
She claimed Comey had called for Trump to be assassinated.
Meanwhile, Trump’s son, Don Jr, also echoed similar sentiments on social media.
Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, claimed Comey knew what he was doing.
“James Comey just issued a call to action to murder the President of the United States,” she wrote on X.
“As a former FBI Director and someone who spent most of his career prosecuting mobsters and gangsters, he knew exactly what he was doing and must be held accountable under the full force of the law.
“We fully support the Secret Service investigation into Comey’s threat on President Trump’s life.”
Trump is yet to comment on Comey’s post, but White House cabinet secretary, Taylor Budowich, said the case is being treated seriously.
“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,” he said.
“This is deeply concerning to all of us and is being taken seriously.”
Comey, who served as FBI director between 2013 and 2017, clarified the picture in a subsequent statement.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” he said.
” 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.”
But, Comey is expected to be interviewed by Secret Service agents, per Fox News.
James Comey statement
Former FBI chief James Comey has spoken out after sharing a photo that has been interpreted as a threat toward Donald Trump.
“I posted earlier a picture of some shells I saw today on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,” he said.
” 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.”
Source: Instagram
Trump survived two assassination attempts in the run-up to last year’s presidential election.
Meanwhile, Comey rose to prominence when he probed Hillary Clinton’s use of her personal email system when she was Secretary of State.
He reopened the case at the height of the 2016 presidential campaign – less than two weeks before election day.
Commentators speculated that Comey’s letter, which explained why the investigation into Clinton’s emails had been reopened, cost the former first lady the election.
Comey also probed the 2016 Trump campaign’s alleged links to Russia.
Trump ended up firing Comey in May 2017.
