Former FBI Director James Comey warned about political demagogues radicalizing followers on-line simply someday sooner than sparking backlash over a cryptic social media publish that critics say alluded to violence in opposition to President Donald Trump.

Comey served as FBI director under each Trump and former President Barack Obama sooner than being fired by the previous in 2017.

He appeared on the Sanity podcast with hosts Alisyn Camerota and Dave Briggs on Friday to promote his newest felony thriller, FDR Drive. In the interview, which used to be recorded before the “86 forty seven” put up, Comey described his guide as a narrative about a “proper-wing demagogue podcaster” whose inflammatory rhetoric incites violence from his followers.

“The protagonist, Nora Carlton, and her crew are trying to figure out hold him in charge,” Comey mentioned of the e-book. “To walk that line between safe speech and crime, and check out to hold this guy who’s a foul dude responsible. And it’s sophisticated.”

Comey concluded of making an attempt his hand at writing fiction, “I didn’t notice that fiction would provide me so much more freedom to point out individuals worlds in an actual manner.”

The comments got here just one day prior to Comey posted a photograph to Instagram that includes seashells organized to read “86 forty seven,” a chain broadly interpreted as political code on-line. The number “86” is often used slang for “do away with,” while “forty seven” is continuously used to reference Trump, who’s serving as the forty seventh president.

His Instagram publish drew condemnation from many Trump allies and conservative commentators, who accused Comey of implicitly calling for violence in opposition to Trump.

The phrase “86 forty seven” is common at anti-Trump protests and online videos.

Comey said that after his publish went viral he used to be unaware the time period could be interpreted as a call for violence towards Trump. The 2 have criticized each different for years.

FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned Thursday that Comey’s submit was being investigated.

Watch above by way of Sanity with Alisyn & Dave.

The submit James Comey Warned About Demagogues Using the Internet to Radicalize — One Day Prior to ‘Assassination’ Controversy first seemed on Mediaite.