On August 18, 2025, former FBI Director James Comey set social media abuzz with a five-minute video posted to his Substack, in which he lavished praise on pop superstar Taylor Swift and offered pointed criticism of former President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. If that sounds like an odd pairing—America’s ex-top cop waxing lyrical about a chart-topping singer-songwriter—it certainly struck a nerve across the political spectrum and ignited a fierce online debate.
Comey opened his video by referencing the infamous relationship between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling it “a bad dream you can’t wake up from.” But, as he quickly pivoted, “I don’t want to talk about that bad dream this week, I want to talk about a truly inspirational public figure named Taylor Swift.” That set the tone for what would become an unusually personal and, some would say, meandering reflection on music, politics, and the art of standing up to bullies.
The former FBI chief revealed that his admiration for Swift isn’t just a passing fancy. “Taylor Swift and I go way back,” Comey explained, recalling that he attended his first Swift concert 15 years ago—around 2010, when Swift was still in her teens and Comey was approaching 50. He confessed to being part of a family Swiftie group chat, helping relatives buy concert tickets, and even listening to Swift’s music while mowing the lawn. His two favorite tracks? “All Too Well” (the epic ten-minute version) and “Exile,” her haunting duet with Bon Iver. “Taylor Swift has grown up with my family and provided us a soundtrack, really, as we’ve grown ourselves and learned and adapted and dealt with adversity and celebration, she had songs for all of it,” Comey said, as quoted by The National News Desk (TNND).
But this wasn’t just a fan letter. Comey used Swift’s journey and public persona as a model for political resilience, especially for Democrats facing Trump’s combative style. “She’s shown a certain way of being that resonated with my kids and also felt right to me as a parent, and she’s still doing that as a grown up,” he noted. Reflecting on his own struggles, Comey admitted, “Like a lot of you, I struggle with how to stand up to bullies without letting their meanness infect me and change me.”
He didn’t mince words about Trump and his supporters, decrying what he called a “stunning coarseness and ugliness” within the Republican Party. “Of course, we need to stand up to jerks and defend what matters, but I think we have to try to do that without becoming like them, which is what makes me think about Taylor Swift,” Comey said. He pointed to Swift’s public opposition to Trump—she endorsed Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024—as evidence that she “sees Donald Trump for what he is.”
Swift’s 2024 endorsement of Harris, in particular, triggered a strong reaction from Trump. Just weeks before Comey’s video, Trump publicly disparaged Swift, declaring her “not hot anymore” and stating that he couldn’t stand her. Comey contrasted this with Swift’s approach to online negativity, recounting her advice from a recent podcast: “Think of your energy as if it’s expensive… as if it’s like a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it.” According to Comey, this mindset—of not giving “the jerks power over her mind”—is something Democrats and Americans in general could learn from.
To drive his point home, Comey closed the video by quoting lyrics from Swift’s 2010 song “Mean”: “I bet you got pushed around, somebody made you cold, but the cycle ends right now, because you can’t lead me down that road.” He added, “That’s right, because down that road is unhappiness. Nobody should have that power over us. Thank you, Taylor Swift, keep the faith.”
The reaction online was swift and, in many corners, harsh. Fox News dedicated a segment to what it called Comey’s “bizarre tribute to Taylor Swift during anti-Trump rant,” highlighting the unusual nature of the former FBI director’s pop culture-infused political commentary. Social media users across X (formerly Twitter) and other platforms were even less charitable. Some labeled the video “cringe,” “creepy,” or “odd.” Others questioned whether the video was even real, speculating it might have been generated by artificial intelligence. “This dude was FBI Director. Let that sink in,” wrote one user. Another commented, “What a weirdo… Creepy for an old man like James Comey to be a drooling fanboy of a young girl like Taylor Swift.”
Comey’s history of online provocations no doubt fueled the backlash. Earlier this year, he found himself in hot water after posting a photo to Instagram of seashells spelling out “8647,” a message interpreted by some as a veiled call for Trump’s assassination, prompting a Justice Department investigation. That episode, combined with his penchant for emotional social media posts, has earned him the nickname “Emo Comey” among critics.
Yet, for all the mockery, Comey’s video also tapped into a broader conversation about the role of celebrities and public figures in shaping political discourse. Swift, after years of avoiding overt political statements, has become increasingly vocal, using her enormous platform to endorse Democratic candidates and advocate for issues like voter registration and LGBTQ rights. Her willingness to call out Trump and his allies has made her a lightning rod for partisan attacks—but also a symbol of resistance for many of her fans.
Comey, for his part, framed Swift’s example as a blueprint for how to resist political bullying without sinking to the level of one’s antagonists. “There are far more decent, honest, kind people in America than there are mean jerks, and don’t get me wrong, we have our jerks, millions of them. You may have noticed! In particular, there’s a stunning coarseness and ugliness in the Republican Party today. It’s upsetting, but it’s also a minority of America. On the whole, we aren’t like that and we don’t like that,” he said, as reported by The Independent.
Of course, not everyone sees it that way. Right-leaning commentators like Benny Johnson and Dinesh D’Souza were quick to deride Comey’s video, and some social media users questioned his judgment and even his sanity. Meanwhile, Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, recently referred Comey and other former Obama administration officials for prosecution over allegations of manufacturing intelligence related to Russian interference in the 2016 election, further complicating his public image.
Still, Comey’s message was clear: don’t let the bullies win, and don’t let them change who you are. Whether delivered through the lyrics of a pop song or the gravitas of a former FBI director, it’s a sentiment that resonates—and rankles—in equal measure.
In a political moment defined by sharp divides and relentless online vitriol, Comey’s unexpected tribute to Taylor Swift has become yet another flashpoint in America’s ongoing culture wars. Whether you see it as heartfelt or bizarre, it’s a reminder that the intersection of politics and pop culture is as unpredictable—and as contentious—as ever.
