CNN’s senior legal analyst Elie Honig slammed members of the Trump cabinet for saying former FBI Director James Comey belongs in prison after he posted a photo on Instagram of seashells arranged so that they read, “86 47.”
The post set off a firestorm on the right as members of Donald Trump’s cabinet, supporters and his family chimed in saying Comey was threatening the president’s life.
Comey has since deleted the post saying he never thought it would be interpreted to mean he’s inciting violence against Trump.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel have called for investigations while Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard flat out said Comey belongs in jail.
On CNN’s The Source Thursday, Honig dismissed the idea of jailing Comey over the post as “ridiculous,” adding that it was “stupid” and “reckless” but not criminal.
“I am no fan of Jim Comey’s. I’ve been very critical of a lot of the things he’s done. I think posting this was extremely reckless, to use a phrase that he once used, and stupid,” Honig said in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. “He has acknowledged that. He took it down. He said, I should not have posted this.”
“This is not criminal. This is not a criminally chargeable threat against the president,” he continued. “It’s political speech. It’s way too broad. It’s stupid, it’s reckless. It’s not criminal. That’s just hyperbole that you’re hearing from the cabinet members there.”
