Washington is bracing itself for what many are calling the biggest political show in years. Referred to by some as 40 square miles surrounded by reality, the city is no stranger to pomp, and residents know how to turn it out when preparing for a political show. Bars, restaurants and other haunts have announced plans to open early to prepare for what Comey does and doesn't say.
— Shaw's Tavern (@ShawsTavern) June 6, 2017
Alongside expanded viewing hours and the ubiquitous flat-screens tuned to C-SPAN's congressional (and ad-free!) network, facilities around town are promoting testimony-themed comestibles, including drinks named "covfefe" and eats like the FBI Sandwich.
You aren't cleared to know what's inside.
Fired by US President Donald Trump, Comey and his testimony could do serious damage to the president and his administration, and it is expected that — in anticipation of revelations that will include the president's insistence on loyalty above all — the nation will be watching with baited breath.
— The Partisan (@ThePartisanDC) June 6, 2017
Many DC pubs are opening earlier than usual, and most will have the hearings displayed on every TV. Like watching a trainwreck from which you cannot look away, patrons will be encouraged to shout their own versions of fake news at the screens while pounding double "covfefe" shots in anticipation of damning testimony. At least one venue has announced it will buy a round for the house every time the president tweets about the hearings.
— Union Pub (@UnionPub) June 7, 2017
Locals and longtime residents, policy wonks and plodding federal employees will all be watching, in a city where just 4 percent of voters supported the president last November.
Distaste for Trump in DC is so "palpable," to quote the Washingtonian, that any opportunity to kick the president's administration is viewed with the celebratory acumen of a Burning Man pre-party.
One reporter, a Canadian, celebrated his newfound city's taste for spectacle.
— Richard Madan (@RichardMadan) June 6, 2017
Rumors of a new drinking game, in which participants must down a shot of "covfefe" every time Comey says he "cannot comment on an ongoing investigation," are running rampant.
Other US cities will likewise celebrate, including San Francisco — which has never needed an excuse to party — and Houston, where there is at least one bar referring to the show as the "Superbowl of Washington."
Texans would say that.
The senate hearings for testimony from former FBI director James Comey begin at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time.
