When former FBI Director James Comey made an Instagram post allegedly containing a threat against President Donald Trump, a number of copycats were moved to make similar threats, according to current FBI Director Kash Patel.

Comey posted a picture last month of seashells spelling “86 47” on his Instagram account, an expression some have used to call for the assassination of Trump, before deleting the picture and saying he believed the phrase to refer generally to opposing the commander-in-chief.

Patel nevertheless revealed in an interview that the picture inspired other threats against Trump, who was nearly assassinated at least twice during the last general election cycle.

“Do you know how many copycats we’ve had to investigate as a result of that beachside venture from the former director?” Patel told Fox News host Bret Baier.

The official added that the post from Comey therefore distracted several other agents investigating serious crimes so that they could handle potential threats against Trump.

“Do you know how many agents I’ve had to take offline from chasing down child sex predators, fentanyl traffickers, terrorists because everywhere across this country, people are popping up on social media and think that a threat to the life of the President of the United States is a joke and they can do it because he did it?” Patel continued.

Comey asserted that he and his wife were walking on the beach when they encountered the message in the sand, believing that the term “86 47” was referring to the impeachment or political defeat of Trump, who is the forty-seventh President.