President Donald Trump condemned former FBI Director James Comey for a controversial social media post, arguing that Comey was calling for his assassination.
In a Friday interview with Fox News, Trump dismissed Comey’s apology and claim that he didn’t know what seashells organized to read “8647” meant. He argued that Comey was openly calling for his assassination.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear,” Trump said.
“Now, he wasn’t very competent, but he was competent enough to know what that meant. And he did it for a reason, and he was hit so hard because people like me, they like what’s happening with our country. Our country has become respected again, and all this, and he’s calling for the assassination of the president,” he added.
Interviewer Brett Baier interjected to say Comey apologized and said it wasn’t a call to violence. Trump dismissed the apology and explanation, and said it was up to Attorney General Pam Bondi whether or not to punish him.
“I don’t want to take a position on it, because that’s going to be up to Pam and all of the great people, but I will say this, I think it’s a terrible thing,” Trump said. “And when you add his history to that, if he had a clean history, he doesn’t. He’s a dirty cop. He’s a dirty cop. And if he had a clean history, I could understand if there was leniency. But I’m going to let them make that decision.”
Comey posted and deleted a picture of shells lined up on a beach to depict the numbers “8647” on Thursday, an ambiguous message interpreted by defenders as a call for Trump to be removed from office and by critics as a call for Trump to be assassinated. Comey later said he did not mean for the post to provoke violence.
COMEY’S ‘8647’ MESSAGE ‘CONCERNS’ WHITE HOUSE AND PROMPTS DHS INVESTIGATION
The Department of Homeland Security is investigating the alleged threat, and the Secret Service said it is aware of the posts and will “vigorously investigate anything that can be taken as a potential threat against our protectees.”
The FBI said it will provide “necessary support.”
