The Performance of a Lifetime: James Comey Channels Taylor Swift, Or So He Says

In a video posted to social media on Sunday, August 17^th, former FBI Director James Comey declared himself to be a “Swiftie,” a devoted Taylor Swift fan, claiming the pop star’s music gives him the strength to stand against President Donald Trump. It’s an interestingly timed revelation, given Comey’s history of questionable public moments.

Comey said Swift’s songs have been a major part of his family through “adversity and celebration,” praising the pop star for the ‘example’ she has set for him, helping him resist “bullies.”

Yet the palpable irony is impossible to ignore. Who are the real “bullies” here? Those calling for accountability regarding alleged election interference, violating DOJ protocols, insubordination, and leaking classified information through a friend? Is it the Justice Department’s current investigation of his potential false testimony to Congress during the Russiagate probe? Or is it Comey himself, whitewashing his betrayal of the American people with grandstanding and performative allyship?

“But I gotta be honest,” he added, “it also leaves me with a strange feeling at times because I don’t want us to become like Trump and his followers.” Comey’s perpetuation of the Left’s tired narrative that Trump’s supporters are often ‘cult-like’ is unsurprising. Yet Comey fails to recognize his self-inflicted contradiction: while accusing others of cult-like behavior, he leans into a fandom himself, chasing celebrity culture for reassurance and public approval. He subsequently underscores the Left’s feverish embrace of celebrities and media narratives, convincing themselves that parasocial relationships are a substitute for reality.

Comey tries to walk a fine line: “I am not an advocate for weakness. 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.” Contradicting himself yet again, his association of emulating women with weakness is more than telling.

Invoking a pop star to brandish moral virtue while simultaneously equating women’s approaches to conflict with “weakness” is peak performative allyship. His theatrics may win applause online, but they strip him of the conviction and clarity required for genuine leadership, which was already made obvious during his tenure in office. For Ex-FBI Director James Comey, it’s about optics, not about principle.