James Comey, the former FBI director, had a conversation with the Secret Service on Friday after alleging that President Trump incited violence against him. This accusation stemmed from a post Trump made on Instagram, which featured a photo and the coded message “8647.”
A video aired by CNN showed Comey, who is 64, leaving his suburban Virginia residence to head to the Secret Service’s Washington Field office for the interview. A federal law enforcement official confirmed that the meeting occurred.
Comey, who served as FBI director from September 2013 until he was dismissed by Trump in May 2017, shared the photo with numbers placed in the caption on Thursday evening.
The code “86” is typically recognized in the restaurant industry as slang for eliminating something, particularly in reference to menu items or disruptive customers. Trump is currently the 47th president of the United States.
“He knew what it meant,” Trump remarked during an interview with Fox News’ Brett Baier, recorded on Thursday. “Even kids know—it means ‘assassination.'”
Afterward, Comey took down the post, claiming he did not grasp the meaning behind it.
“This has never happened to me before, but I stand against all forms of violence, so I removed the post,” he stated.
The Secret Service has yet to respond to inquiries for a statement.
