James Comey, the disgraced former FBI director fired by President Donald Trump in 2017, reemerged in the public sphere last week with a dubious explanation for why he’s once again taking the media circuit by storm.

In a low-rated appearance on MSNBC with Jen Psaki — who now hosts a platform that mainly serves as a safe space for left-wing spin — Comey claimed that President Trump’s reelection in November prompted him to return to the spotlight.

“I was actually, I’m embarrassed to say, trying to withdraw a little bit, especially since last November, be a grandfather, be an author, wear t-shirts and jeans all the time,” Comey said, oddly dressed in a formal suit for the segment. “And the reason I’m dressed in my old uniform is to remind myself, that’s the coward’s way. You must stand up and speak. Everyone who can speak, I can speak about the rule of law especially, needs to be out there because there are real serious threats. And the only thing that’s necessary for them to triumph is for good men and women to be silent.”

The irony is thick. Comey, who oversaw the FBI’s thoroughly discredited Russia probe into Trump’s 2016 campaign — a hoax that cost taxpayers millions and undermined public trust — now positions himself as some kind of moral authority on the “rule of law.”

But Comey’s moral posturing quickly unraveled last week after a suspicious Instagram post drew widespread backlash — and federal attention.

The image, which has since been deleted, showed seashells arranged on a beach to spell out “86 47.” For many, including current and former officials, the message was clear: “86” is common slang for eliminating someone, and “47” unmistakably refers to President Trump, the 47th President of the United States.

“Cool shell formation on my beach walk,” Comey captioned the photo — a claim few took seriously. After public outcry, he posted a follow-up attempting to dismiss the symbolism as accidental. But the damage was done.

The incident earned Comey a visit from the U.S. Secret Service and sparked outrage from Americans rightfully concerned about violent rhetoric being normalized — especially from someone who once led the nation’s top law enforcement agency.

President Trump addressed the controversy directly in an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier.

“He knew exactly what that meant. A child knows what that meant. If you’re the FBI director and you don’t know what that meant, that meant ‘assassination,’ and it says it loud and clear,” the president said.

The response from law enforcement and national security leaders was swift.

“We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran,” said FBI Director Kash Patel in a post on X. “Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support.”

Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem confirmed the seriousness of the threat, stating: “DHS and Secret Service is investigating this threat and will respond appropriately.”

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, a rare voice of reason in an increasingly politicized intel community, didn’t hold back during a segment with Jesse Watters.

“Absolutely not, Jesse,” she responded when asked if she believed Comey’s claim of ignorance. “That is a ridiculous and insane statement to make, certainly within this context, but especially coming from a guy who’s the former Director of the FBI, a guy who spent most of his career prosecuting mobsters and gangsters, people who know and execute other humans and use this exact lingo of 86.

“Comey himself admitted in his follow-on message that he knew that this was a political statement. Well, the only reason he knew that, Jesse, was because a little over a month ago, a bunch of anti-Trump, anti-Elon Musk protesters were proliferating the use of this 86-47 slogan, which was a veiled call to action to murder the sitting President of the United States.”

Gabbard concluded, “So for Comey to think that we, the American people, are so stupid as to think that he, as a former FBI Director, former prosecutor, and someone who clearly pays attention to what’s going on, would believe his lie that he didn’t know what this actually was calling for, the dangerousness of this, Jesse, cannot be underestimated.”