“We are now dealing with copycats, sending cryptic threats to public figures, using the ’86’ reference. Whether they turn out to be legitimate threats or not, taxpayer-funded public safety agents are going to have to run these all out and investigate them,” Bongino said.

“This is a reminder of the damage self-serving individuals, with a history of extremely poor judgment, can do when they fail to control their impulses,” he added.

Bongino previously denounced Comey directly by name in a Saturday post on X.

The deputy FBI director said, “Former FBI Director James Comey brought shame to the FBI badge, yet again, this past week. The Director and I spend an inordinate amount of time cleaning up messes left behind by former Director Comey. And his latest actions are no exception.”

Comey posted and deleted a picture of shells lined up on a beach to depict the numbers “8647” on Thursday, an ambiguous message interpreted by defenders as a call for Trump to be removed from office and by critics as a call for Trump to be assassinated. Comey later said he did not mean for the post to provoke violence.

The former FBI director has since taken a significant amount of flak from President Donald Trump and his allies, though he has publicly largely shrugged it off. In a Monday interview, he expressed confidence that the judicial system would protect him.

COMEY PRAISES JUDICIARY AMID TRUMP ADMINISTRATION THREATS: ‘STILL HAVE A LEG ON OUR STOOL’

Comey said citizens of the United States “live in a reality-based world where people, if they’re going to make accusations, have to make them in front of judges, have to put evidence forward, have to swear that things are true. I believe in our judiciary. I believe in that one remaining leg of our three-legged stool, that independent judiciary, is alive and well, and that gives me great comfort.”

He was interviewed by the Secret Service over the post, but no charges have been brought against him.