The Secret Service questioned James Comey, the former FBI director, Friday about a social media post he made that Trump’s Cabinet officials and allies claimed amounted to a call for Trump’s assassination, according to a law enforcement official.

The Secret Service sought the interview after Comey posted a photo Thursday of seashells on a beach forming the numbers “86 47,” a phrase used by Trump’s critics at protests and on signs and clothing. “Eighty-six,” according to Merriam-Webster, is an old slang term meaning to dismiss or remove.

Shortly after Comey made the post, Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, said the Secret Service, which falls under her department, was investigating it.

Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, said on Fox News that Comey should be jailed.

The interview is said to have taken place at a Secret Service office in Washington. Comey is said to have voluntarily consented to the interview, the official said, and was driven to the interview by Secret Service agents.

Comey deleted the Instagram post after it generated heated criticism, saying, “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

Critics of Trump’s administration have said that his officials have blown Comey’s post out of proportion and are using it as an excuse to harass one of Trump’s perceived enemies.

The Secret Service investigates multiple threats a day to people it protects.

Comey has long been a target of Trump’s ire, dating to early in Trump’s first presidency.

Trump fired Comey as FBI director in May 2017 as the bureau was investigating whether Trump’s advisers had colluded with the Russian government to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

In an interview with Bret Baier of Fox News that was broadcast Friday, Trump — the target of two assassination attempts last year — said he believed that Comey was calling for him to be killed.