Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Newsmax on Friday that former FBI Director James Comey is an immature and arrogant "butthead" who was likely "trying to seek attention" with a social media post earlier this week that earned him an interview with the Secret Service.
Kennedy joined "Rob Schmitt Tonight" to react to Comey's post to Instagram on Thursday that featured seashells forming the shapes of "86 47," which President Donald Trump and his administration have asserted was calling for the president's assassination.
"To know Mr. Comey is to dislike Mr. Comey. There is a reason he doesn't get invited to too many parties. He's a butthead," Kennedy said. "You know, you can only be young once, but you can always be immature. What Mr. Comey did was immature, but it was more than that. I think he was trying to seek attention."
Comey, who was FBI director from 2013 to 2017, subsequently deleted his post and said he "didn't realize some folks associate those numbers with violence."
With two assassination attempts on Trump in less than a year, however, Comey was escorted to the Washington field office of the Secret Service earlier Friday to explain himself.
"Mr. Comey has a chip on his shoulder. The chip on his shoulder has a chip on its shoulder. He probably single-handedly did more to undermine the reputation of the FBI, which before Mr. Comey took over was one of the, if not the premier, law enforcement organizations in the country, in the world," Kennedy said. "It's hard to describe how arrogant he is. As [President] Lyndon Johnson used to say, 'He can strut sitting down.'
"I don't know what was in his head or in his heart. I don't know if there was any evil intent here, but I think he was looking for attention and by God, he got it."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials. Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app. Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.