Donald Trump accused ex-FBI Director James Comey of signaling an assassination attempt through a cryptic Instagram post, calling the now-deleted image "a call to kill" and saying "a child knows what that meant."
Tensions between Trump and Comey have run high since Trump fired him in 2017 while Comey was leading the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, USA Today reported.
Comey has since publicly supported Democratic candidates and remained a vocal critic of Trump. Trump, meanwhile, has branded Comey as corrupt and untrustworthy.
On May 15, Comey posted a photo on Instagram showing seashells arranged to spell "8647," accompanied by the caption: "Cool shell formation on my beach walk." Internet users and Trump allies swiftly interpreted the numbers as coded language—with "86" being slang for "eliminate" and "47" referencing Trump as the 47th president.
Comey deleted the post, later saying he hadn't realized the political undertones, but Trump dismissed the explanation in a May 16 FOX News interview, asserting that Comey "knew exactly what he was doing."
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed it is reviewing the post, stating it "vigorously investigates anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees." Trump, who survived two assassination attempts, said the post was especially disturbing given recent threats to his life.
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