Cnn
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The controversial Instagram photo of James Comey and now deleted from shells speaking the “86,47” figures only adds to a long list of publications on the social networks of the former FBI director who triggered a mixture of anger and – most often – a large dose of ocular jets.
Comey’s social media strategy has transformed anonymous accounts which he secretly kept on Twitter and Instagram in 2017 in a self-promotional approach where he published worthy statements of interest, “dad” jokes worthy of teeth and a photograph of amateur landscape which is not part of the shells on a beach that now have him in hot water with Trump and his Alies.
Comey, the 6 feet 8 inch ancient The Republican who has sometimes been a source of fury for both parties in the last decade, has also used his social media accounts to stimulate the democratic opponents of President Donald Trump in the 2020 and 2024 elections, to push Trump’s attacks and republican criticisms, and as a store to make comments on new events, such as Robert Mueller’s special advice on the Trump campaign and Russia.
“So many questions,” Comey posted in March 2019, With a photo of himself Looking up towards large trees in a forest, after the general of the time, General William Barr, released a cherry Summary of the Mueller report.
Now Comey is the subject of an investigation by the Trump administration for the shellfish post on a beach which explained the figures “86 47”. The number 86 can often refer to getting rid of or throwing something, while 47 corresponds to Trump’s current mandate as 47th president.
The position was welcomed by rapid indignation from Trump’s allies and members of his office. National intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard suggested on Thursday that Comey could be imprisoned, while internal security secretary Kristi Noem wroteAn article on social networksThe DHS and the secret services were investigating an alleged threat against Trump by Comey. Legal and security experts say the proceedings came for such a position Would probably be impruating .
Comey was interviewedBy the secret services in Washington on Friday evening, according to sources of application of the law.
Trump accused Comey of having insinuated a threat against him. “He knew exactly what it meant. A child knows what it meant. If you are the FBI director and you don’t know what it meant? It meant the assassination. And that said it strong and strong,” said Trump in a clip of an interview with Fox News published on Friday.
By explaining why he deleted the position, ComeyWritten on Instagram That he had “published a photo of a few shells earlier that I saw today on a walk on the beach, which I supposed to be a political message”.
“I did not know that some people associate these figures with violence. It never came to my mind, but I oppose violence of all kinds, so I rejected the post, “he continued.
Several people of different ends of the ideological spectrum observed that even if Comey had the right to publish the photo, it was the last proof that the former director of the FBI “became a little” weird “his retirement”, as Jeffrey Blehar said In the national journal .
“He is a man who, if his Instagram is appropriate evidence, spends his days walking in an enchanted world,” wrote Blehar. “Nature is clear about this man, which is why it is so disappointing that, when it is, it is always in the voice of the political slogans of prolix.”
When contacted to comment, Comey directed CNN to his Instagram post explaining the deletion of the previous image.
Until 2017, Comey operated in the shadow of Twitter, which is now X, and Instagram. His Twitter account was hid in sight with the name Reinhold Niebuhr, afterA Protestant Pastor In the middle of the 20th century which was the subject of the thesis of the Comey Colly.
But his accounts were discovered in March 2017 by Ashley Feinberg de Gizmodo after letting a dinner slide that he had secret social media accounts.
Comey replied with a tweetThis set the tone to his future publications on social networks, by publishing both a link to the FBI site and a meme of Will Ferrell in “Anchorman” with legend: “In fact, I’m not even crazy.”
Comey’s account is then sleeping for almost seven months, including during the period when He was dismissed by Trump And when He testified In a successful Senate hearing the following month.
“Watching white migratory pelicans in Iowa thinking about the serenity prayer of Niebuhr,” he wrote two days later with a photo of pélicans flying in the sky.
Comey started to publish in October 2017 again. He started with landscape photos, including a kayaker on the Hudson river at the West Point Military Academy and A cornfield in Iowa. “Delighted to be back in iowa”, ” He wrote in a tweet in October 2017.
Comey confirmed that it was actually his accountthe day after. “Goodbye Iowa. On the way back. I have to start writing again. I will try to tweet useful, ” He tweeted As well as a photo of himself standing in the middle of a two-way road, looking in the distance with folded arms.
The following month, Comey has changed Its Twitter account name at “@Comment”.
“Happy to be part of the Twitterverse. Recognizing Reinhold for coverage in recent years,” he wrote .
As he was preparing To release a memoryIn 2018, with a dazzling criticism of the presidency of Trump and their interactions, he used social media for Aiguille the president: “Lordy, this time there will be a band. tweeted with a photo of himself in a recording studio – referring to swirling speculationIn 2017, Food by Trump suggesting that he had secretly recorded their conversations.
Comey continued to display frequently, including Quotes on dishonestyof his old name of Plume Reinhold Niebuhr and Bad jokes on gnomes.
He also defended himself against republican criticism in 2019 from an inspector general report that found Comey broke the FBI policy With his memos on the meeting with Trump.
On April 1, 2019, Comey posted another photo of himself by looking in the distance on a two-lane road. “I am in it. We need someone in the middle.# 2020“, He wrote with an addendum:” But could you imagine a president who used social media to make dad jokes rather than to launch insults? Happy#Aprilfools . “”
The active character of Comey’s social media had his detractors. Special Vanity Fair Molly Jong-Fast correspondent written in the Bulwark in 2019 that Comey was “the most annoying man in America” and should not be on Twitter.
“Twitter Comey is tedious and pretentious and completely, completely without humor,” she wrote. “Comey Twitter has gone from the Adorkable to unbearable terribly quickly.”
Comey – that many democrats blame for costing Hillary Clinton the 2016 elections by announcing in October 2016 that he reoped that an FBI investigation on his private messaging server – used his social media accounts to strengthen Joe Biden and Kamala Harris during the 2020 campaign.
“Vote for your country,” he published by wearing a Biden-Harris 2020 shirt and drinking in a cup of Biden-Harris coffee.
And during the 2024 election, Comey published several messages supporting the vice-president Kamala Harris, including a photo of her appearance with the former republican representative Liz Cheney and himself wearing a hat of Camo Harris-Walz.
“Each American should vote the country during the party in 2024″, ” He wrote in October 2024 .
The day a Manhattan jury recognized Trump guilty of 34 charges for falsifying commercial files last May, Comey republished a tweet In December 2017, he sent a passage from the Bible and the Rapids river: “But justice descends like waters and justice as a constantly evolving stream” Amos 5:24 “.
After Trump won the re -election, Comey Posted several messagesto those who still work in the police. In February, Comey urgedHis former colleagues to “fight for the rule of law – to protect your country and to keep your job”.
Since the 2020 elections, however, a large part of Comey’s social media has been devoted to the books he has written since the memories of 2018, which include several criminal novels and an examination of the criminal justice system during Trump’s presidency.
The day before, he published his photo of shell “86 47”, Comey shared another stroke of the beach: HimselfSitting in a lounge chair reading his new novel which should be released later next week. “Prepare the release of a great beach reading (next Tuesday!)”, He wrote.