By Steve Neavling
Former FBI Director James Comey said he was stunned that a photo of beach shells posted to Instagram led to accusations from Donald Trump that he was calling for the former president’s assassination.
“It’s been a bit of a distraction, honestly,” Comey said Monday night during a book event in Manhattan, the Associated Press reports.
The controversy began when Comey posted a photo of shells arranged to resemble the numbers “86” and “47.” He said he and his wife spotted them during a walk and thought it was a curious arrangement — not a coded message.
“To me, ‘86’ meant ditch something boring,” Comey said. “She said, ‘You should really put that on Instagram.’ I said, ‘You’re right.’”
But online speculation exploded. In slang, “86” can mean to get rid of something — or someone — and Trump is the 47th president. Trump later claimed on Fox News that Comey’s post was a clear call for his assassination.
Comey removed the post and said he explained the situation to the Secret Service, who contacted him soon after. He agreed to an interview and told agents the post was innocent.
“It seems like a thing I don’t fully understand,” Comey said. “Maybe it’ll go away now.”
Comey was promoting his new crime novel, FDR Drive, which explores how speech can incite violence — a theme that now feels uncomfortably close to home.
