To be "86'ed" is slang for "to be thrown out" or "get rid of," leading many Trump allies to see Comey's post as a direct threat against Trump's life.

James Comey, who was the director of the FBI under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, is now giving his frank assessment of his former boss' second term — and insisting that he's not backing down despite facing a potential criminal prosecution.

Ex-FBI Director James Comey had another anti-Trump seashell moment prior to Thursday's controversial Instagram post that critics have alleged was 'a hit' against President Trump.

The White House responded to Comey's post shortly after ... while former FBI Director James Comey, right, is pictured at a hearing on... President Donald Trump, left, speaks during a roundtable ...

James Comey has explained why he posted a cryptic anti-Trump message on Instagram Thursday. The photo, which contained “86” and “47” spelled out in seashells on a beach, landed the former FBI director under investigation by federal authorities after many White House officials and allies of President Donald Trump claimed that the message was a call for his assassination.

The 'Outnumbered' panel discusses the fallout from former FBI director James Comey's social media post and why he is now under investigation for the 'threat.'

Former FBI Director James Comey sits down with Nicolle Wallace following Secret Service interview and social post controversy. Comey explains the "8647" post and his experience with the Secret Service on Deadline: White House.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary traces “86” to “1930s soda-counter slang meaning that an item was sold out. There is varying anecdotal evidence about why the term eighty-six was used, but the most common theory is that it is rhyming slang for nix.”