Former FBI Director James Comey recently found himself at the center of a political storm after he voluntarily appeared for questioning following allegations from former President Donald Trump. On Friday, Trump charged that Comey was calling for him to be assassinated with a apparently benign social media post that included some seashells. This serious charge has created the most intense discussion between political pundits and advocates on either side of the aisle.
Flickr user James Comey released this picture of some seashells he found on his evening beach walk. Many Trump supporters interpreted it as a dog whistle calling for violence to take Trump out of office. The other number of significance was the ‘86’—in American slang, to 86 something is to get rid of it—which was strikingly present in the pushback. The political safety valve of themes ‘8647’ and ‘8646’ were strong political slogans during the Trump administration and now under President Joe Biden. It’s this additional layer of usage that has complicated the broader discussion about Comey’s post.
It seems to have backfired, as in response to the outcry Comey deleted the tweet and explained what he was trying to accomplish with the tweet. He stated, “It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.” His statements emphasize that he never meant for the letter to be understood with any violent implication.
Whatever Comey might claim, he was met with extreme incredulity for his claims of ignorance about how these rules were being violently interpreted. At the time, Trump supporters criticized him because they believe his successor Trump incited the violence, an assertion Comey strongly refutes. He continued to defend his position on the matter by stating that he has always condemned violence against everyone, bringing further attention to his controversial comments.
James Comey has been a vocal critic of Donald Trump since his firing at the beginning of Trump’s first term. In a 2018 joint interview, Comey stated Trump is “morally unfit” to be the nation’s leader. This statement illuminated the deep ideological divide between the two. This history of animosity has fueled interpretations of Comey’s recent actions, with many seeing them through a lens of political rivalry.
Comey’s decision to agree to be questioned voluntarily suggests he wants to do this the right way. We don’t yet know whether the inquiry will uncover any major new information. That would too help explain what he was going for by making that now-deleted post.
As all of this is happening political tensions in the US are increasing. In its wake, we’re reminded of the other side, a more pernicious side, of social media – the platform that aids in communication but enables and empowers dispersement of harmful allegations and miscommunications.
