NEW YORK (AP) — Former FBI director James Comey says that he’s still a bit bewildered over how a seemingly innocent Instagram shot of shells arranged in the sand led to allegations by Donald Trump among others that he was calling for the president’s assassination and to an interview with the Secret Service.

Federal officials said they were looking into a now-deleted social media post by Comey last week, where he posted a photo of seashells that spelled out “86 47″. Many MAGA loyalists and Trump himself accused Comey of calling for his assassination with that post.

James Comey, who is under investigation for an Instagram post about Trump, said he believes the judiciary will protect him from a dubious prosecution.

Former FBI Director James Comey drew scorn on social media after claiming he and his wife happened upon a group of seashells on a beach that said “8647,” a message some interpreted as a call for presidential assassination.

Former FBI Director James Comey called it "crazy" for anyone to think his controversial social media post was a call for violence against President Trump. The post James Comey Speaks On Controversial Trump Post: ‘Crazy’ to Think It Was a Threat first appeared on Mediaite.

I regret the distraction and the controversy around it, but again, it’s hard to have regret about something that even in hindsight looks to me to be totally innocent,” Comey said.

A cryptic Instagram post by former FBI Director James Comey has triggered a political firestorm—and a federal investigation—after critics claimed it hinted at violence against former President Donald Trump.

Former FBI Director James Comey warned about political demagogues radicalizing followers online just one day before sparking backlash over a cryptic social media post that critics say alluded to violence against President Donald Trump.