Comey Attacks Trump

Former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump and his administration on Monday of abusing their authority by targeting individuals and weakening the rule of law, as he addressed the backlash to an Instagram post that sparked intense criticism from Trump’s allies.

In his first interview since a federal investigation was opened into the since-deleted post, Comey told MSNBC that he saw the seashell arrangement forming the number “8647” during a beach walk with his wife and thought it was a clever way to express a political message. He said he was unaware that the number “86” could be interpreted by some as a reference to violence.

The U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security began looking into the post after Comey shared a photo of the shell formation last Thursday, which President Trump later claimed was a veiled call for his assassination. Comey, however, dismissed the idea and said he believed the display was likely created by someone with a creative political message, not any malicious intent.

Comey said he understood the image might have touched a nerve, but denied there was anything threatening about it. He described the controversy as an unfortunate distraction and confirmed that the Secret Service had contacted him both by phone and in person at their Washington field office.

He told MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace that although he regretted the uproar the post had caused, he saw no reason to feel guilty about something that still seemed entirely harmless, even in retrospect. Comey reiterated that he viewed the image as symbolic political commentary tied to Trump’s position as the 47th president and not as a call for violence.