ChatGPT:
In U.S. military slang, “86” generally means to get rid of, cancel, or remove something—or someone—from a situation.
For example:
“We’re going to 86 that plan” → scrap or cancel it
“86 that guy from the detail” → remove that person from the assignment
The term isn’t originally military—it comes from American restaurant/bar slang, where “86” meant an item was unavailable or a customer should be thrown out. The military picked it up and uses it in a similar “eliminate or nix it” sense.
Context matters, though. Depending on tone, it can range from something casual (canceling a task) to more serious (removing someone from a role).
They think we are stupid!
Yes, I remember in the early 90s working at restaurants and the common term for when something was no longer available or taken off the menu was 86. For the head of the FBI to not know this is ludicrous, and I’m not talking about the rapper/singer.