FORMER FBI chief James Comey remains the subject of heavy criticism after he posted a photo of seashells that many interpreted as a threat directed at Donald Trump.
Some have even called for him to be put in the notorious lockup of Alcatraz after the president touted plans to reopen the jail.
Last week, Comey shared a picture of the seashells that spelled out the code 8647 before deleting the social media post.
The number 86 refers to killing an item from the menu and Trump is the 47th president.
Comey has spoken out and labeled the saga a distraction, but Trump supporters have called on him to be punished.
Some have even called for Comey to be locked up over the social media post.
“I hear Alcatraz has a nice beachfront view,” Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s former White House press secretary, said.
Scores of Trump fans have called on Trump to rename Alcatraz “Comey Island.”
Comey is promoting his book, FDR Drive, and was quizzed by Fox News reporter Johnny Belisario.
The former FBI director laughed when Belisario asked: “Why do you want to 86 Trump?”
Comey refused to answer the question and continued to sign the book.
Belisario tried to press Comey, asking him about his interview with the Secret Service.
The journalist also asked: “Can you sign my seashell too?”
Then, an assistant at the book signing tried to usher Belisario away.
Comey said he doesn’t expect to be charged in relation to the seashells post.
And, he never envisioned it would cause such a furore.
“I really thought that I was done,” he told MSNBC.
“In a different life, I was a grandfather and an author who wore sweaters and jeans, then took a walk on the beach and shared a silly picture of shells, aiming to convey a political message in a clever way.”
Trump blasted Comey, who he fired in 2017, when quizzed by Fox News journalist Bret Baier.
“He knew exactly what that meant – a child knows what that meant,” he said.
Trump survived two assassination attempts during the 2024 election campaign.
Trump described Comey as a “dirty cop” as he unleashed a blistering tirade against the former FBI chief.
‘DIRTY COP’
Earlier this month, Trump teased plans about the idea of reopening Alcatraz.
He wants the jail to be home to America’s “most ruthless and violent offenders.”
“The reopening of Alcatraz will serve as a symbol of Law, Order and Justice,” Trump vowed.
“We will, Make America Great Again.”
The jail, which closed in 1963, is surrounded by freezing Pacific waters and is dubbed The Rock.
The lockup, which Trump described as a “big hulk,” was shuttered because it was too expensive to maintain.
It is a landmark that attracts more than 1.4 million tourists each year.
But, Trump’s plans to reopen Alcatraz have been widely mocked.
Tourists admitted they were unsure if Trump was being serious.
” I thought it was a joke,” Philipp Neumann told The New York Times.
“It’s a ruin, isn’t it, more or less?”
San Francisco officials also described Trump’s plans as “not serious.”
But, William Marshall III, the Federal Bureau of Prisons Director, appeared to present an optimistic take.
“We’ve got engineering teams on site conducting assessments, and I’m genuinely thrilled about the opportunities and potential,” he said to Fox News star Lara Trump.
