Comey calls seashells post that sparked Trump threats probe a "distraction"
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James Comey in New York City in 2023. Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Former FBI director James Comey accused President Trump and his administration on Monday of using their powers "to aim at individuals, eroding the rule of law," as he addressed his "8647" Instagram post that incensed Trump world.
The bit picture: In his first interview since an investigation was launched into the since-deleted Instagram post that Trump said "meant assassination," Comey told MSNBC he thought the formation of shells on a beach into the number "8647" was a "clever way to express a political viewpoint" and didn't know of a violent meaning behind the number "86."
Driving the news: The U.S. Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security launched an investigation after Comey shared the image of the seashells on Instagram last Thursday. He saw them while walking on a beach with his wife and thought "that's really clever," the former FBI chief told MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace.
- A trend has emerged of posting the number "86" alongside "47," reflecting Trump's current term in the historical number of U.S. presidents as a means of resistance, and Comey told Wallace he thought the formation was created by "somebody with artistic flair" and with no "dark intention."
- Comey confirmed the Secret Service spoke with him over the phone and at the Washington field office over the matter.
- "I regret the distraction and the controversy around it, but ... it's hard to have regret about something that, even in hindsight, looks to me to be totally innocent," Comey told Wallace.
Zoom in: Comey agreed with Wallace that Trump has been calling for his prosecution since 2017 and accused him of "all manner of things" since the president fired him during his first term as the FBI probed ties between Trump associates and Russia.
- "It's not my first rodeo," Comey told Wallace. "I'm, in some strange way, the relationship he can't get over," he said of Trump.
- On Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard saying Comey should be "put behind bars" for the shells post, Comey said: "It says something more depressing about the leadership of our current administration. And I just shrug, because that's ridiculous."
- Comey said he hopes that the reaction to his post "is just a distraction that goes away in a weekend," but he raised concerns about the rule of law being eroded, with threats to institutions and people "being pushed out."
- He pointed to big law firms folding to Trump and offering free work, but he said "the rule of law is still our saving grace" and praised the independence of the judiciary.
The other side: "Disgraced former FBI Director James Comey, whom President Trump fired for gross incompetence and unfitness for the role, suffers from an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome," White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in an emailed statement Monday evening.
- "His recent doubling down on incomprehensible and dangerous rhetoric directed at President Trump underscores his derangement and commitment to divisiveness and politics rather than loyalty to the country," he added.
- "The appropriate federal agencies are investigating his inexcusable actions and will take prompt action if warranted."
Go deeper: What to know about "8647" after James Comey's Instagram post
