President Donald Trump is condemning a cryptic social media post from former FBI Director James Comey, which Trump and others interpreted as a veiled call for his assassination.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier during a visit to Abu Dhabi, Trump said the now-deleted post, which showed seashells arranged to form the numbers “86 47,” was deliberate.
“He wasn’t very competent. But he was competent enough to know what that meant. And, he did it for a reason,” Trump said in an interview that aired Friday on “Special Report.”
The post, shared on Instagram, featured the caption, “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.” Some interpreted it as a coded message, with “86” being slang for “get rid of,” and “47” referring to Trump, who is the 47th president of the United States.
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Comey later deleted the post and issued an apology, saying, “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”
Trump, however, is not convinced.
“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant,” he said. “If you’re the FBI director, and you don’t know what that meant – that meant assassination, and it says it loud and clear.”
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When asked whether Comey should face consequences, Trump declined to give a definitive answer but said the Justice Department and U.S. Secret Service are investigating.
“If he had a clean history – he doesn’t, he’s a dirty cop … I could understand if there was a leniency. But I’m going to let them make that decision,” he said.
Trump also used the interview to highlight recent foreign policy developments, claiming success in brokering peace and securing economic deals in the Middle East.
“I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace,” Trump said.
He pointed to a recent ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan, calling it a major breakthrough that averted what he claimed was the potential for nuclear war.
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“That was going to be a nuclear war, I think, or close … And now everyone’s happy,” Trump said. “In fact, I told my people, call them up, let’s start trading immediately.”
Earlier this month, Trump announced the ceasefire in a Truth Social post, congratulating both nuclear powers for showing what he called “common sense.”
He said he’s also looking to use his trade strategy with Iran, which he claims is looking to make a deal with the United States. The president reiterated his stance that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, and noted the solution will either be “violent or not violent” and said he would prefer the peaceful option.
Trump is returning to Washington with what he described as three major investment deals from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, amounting to billions of dollars in commitments to the U.S. economy.
He also criticized President Joe Biden’s approach to the region, saying, “It’s a great region, but it was never treated properly. And it was certainly not treated well by Biden, who didn’t know he was alive, frankly.”
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Trump added that he has eased “crippling” sanctions on Syria, claiming the country’s leadership requested relief to prove they could change.
The president also commented on the ongoing war in Ukraine, saying Russian President Vladimir Putin is growing “tired” of the conflict. Trump said he believes he could pressure Russia into peace talks using economic leverage, as he claims to have done with Iran, but only if he has to.
He criticized Biden for what he views as a failure to prevent the war, repeating his longstanding argument that the invasion would not have happened under his administration.
Toward the end of the interview, Trump discussed the investigations into two assassination attempts against him during the 2024 campaign season. He revealed that, while some information remains classified, he has been briefed by officials and still has questions.
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“I thought it was strange,” Trump said of one suspect. “The one guy had 18 cell phones, okay? I have a lot of cell phones, but I have like two.”
Discussing the Butler, Pennsylvania incident, where a bullet grazed his ear, Trump said investigators found unusual activity on the assailant’s phone.
“Three apps. Very unusual apps. And two of them were foreign apps,” he noted.
Trump says that although he continues to feel uneasy, he’s been assured by officials that he is not currently at risk.
“They tell me it’s fine,” he said. “It’s a bit hard to be believe as I get that throbbing feeling. I get a little throbbing feeling,” he added, touching on the lingering effects of his injury.
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