House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky, recently proposed that former FBI director James Comey may have been trying to provoke “some kind of coup or some kind of rebellion” against President Trump. This remark came during an interview with FOX News on Friday night, where Comey mentioned a now-deleted social media post reading “86 47.”
Comer pointed out that it seems people are growing increasingly concerned about Trump’s success, particularly regarding border security, and what the media claimed he couldn’t achieve early in his presidency. He speculated that this discomfort might be driving Comey to share controversial photos on social media.
The Secret Service conducted an interview with Comey on Friday, following backlash from GOP members over a photo he posted on Instagram the previous day. Trump and his allies accused Comey of implying a wish for President Trump’s assassination.
In response, Comey, who is 64, clarified that his post was not meant to provoke violence. He explained that “some people didn’t realize they were linking those numbers to violence” in a subsequent statement.
He wrote, “It never occurred to me, but I oppose all kinds of violence, so I deleted the post.” The term “86” is often understood as slang for rejecting or discarding something.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem confirmed that Comey agreed to a voluntary interview at the Secret Service’s Washington Field office on Friday.
Comer also expressed uncertainty about Comey’s intentions, stating that his view of the former FBI chief is quite negative. He noted, “Everything about his role in the investigation was riddled with inaccuracies. While I recognize he might have made a simple mistake, if it was deliberate, I wouldn’t be surprised at all.”
