Former FBI director James Comey addressed the recent criticism regarding his “8647” shell photograph on Monday, describing the backlash as a “distraction.” He insisted that his intentions behind the now-deleted post were entirely innocent.
During an interview on MSNBC’s Deadline: The White House, host Nicole Wallace inquired if Comey regretted sharing the images, which sparked significant criticism from supporters of former President Trump, including calls for the president’s assassination. Following the post, Secret Service officials also sought to speak with Comey.
“I am indeed distracted and regret the controversy, but honestly, it’s tough to look back and regret when I see it as something completely innocent,” he explained.
Comey, who gained notoriety in Trump’s initial term, pointed out that this wasn’t the first time he faced attacks from the president and his allies.
“During my time with Trump, I thoroughly examined a lot of things, so this isn’t my first experience with these kinds of events,” he noted.
“It’s a peculiar relationship he can’t quite escape,” he added.
After facing a notable online backlash, Comey removed the photo of the shell on Thursday evening. In a follow-up post, he clarified that he did not intend to promote violence and was unaware that his message could be interpreted that way.
“I had previously shared some pictures of shells I found during a beach walk, and I didn’t think it was political,” Comey wrote on Instagram.
“I hadn’t realized some were connecting those numbers to violent sentiments,” he continued. “That thought never occurred to me, but I oppose all forms of violence, so I decided to take the post down.”
