ANKARA

Former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey dismissed claims his “8647” social media post was in any way threatening to US President Donald Trump, calling such accusations “crazy.”

In an interview with MSNBC on Monday, Comey explained that he was walking along the beach with his wife when they came across a message written in the sand: 8647.

Curious about the meaning, they examined the arrangement of seashells, Comey recalled, recounting the events from the previous week that prompted him to share a photo of the scene on Instagram.

That post sparked backlash from Trump supporters, who accused him of inciting violence against the president.

Comey said his wife was reminded of her time working in a restaurant, where the term "86" was used to indicate that an item was no longer available.

“I posted it on my Instagram account and thought nothing more of it, until I heard through her that people were saying it was some sort of a call for assassination, which is crazy,” he said.

Amid the controversy, Comey took down the post and released a statement clarifying that it was never intended to encourage violence.

“Even if I think it’s crazy,” Comey said on MSNBC. “I don’t want to be associated with violence of any kind.”

Comey received a call from the Secret Service, which had launched an investigation into his post.

The term "86" has been colloquially associated with eliminating something or someone. The Merriam-Webster dictionary has defined it as a refusal “to serve (a customer)" or to "get rid of" or "throw out" someone or something. Meanwhile, “47” is seen as a reference to Trump – the 47th president of the US.