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Thursday, October 29, 2026Oct 29

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Watching Comey: For some it’s a party

WASHINGTON (AP) – Politics-obsessed Americans gathered at bars and restaurants Thursday with an excitement normally reserved for the Super Bowl or the World Series, ordering FBI sandwiches and morning shots of Russian vodka as James Comey testified about his dealings with President Donald Trump.

Shaw’s Tavern in Washington opened early and attracted a line of waiting customers seeking to watch the former FBI director’s congressional appearance. A special menu was offered for occasion, with the sandwich, the vodka and Covfefe coffee – a coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon. The hearing blared on televisions mounted throughout the bar and on the patio.

“This is massive,” said Dani Robillard, 42, of San Francisco, who lined up outside Shaw’s. She said she was in town to officiate a wedding and wanted to watch the hearing with people. Like others in line, she said she did not support Trump.

A look at some other scenes as people paused from their weekday routines to take in perhaps the most anticipated congressional hearing since the 1970s.

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