Testimony generates plenty of interest

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 the occasion, including the sandwiches, the vodka and “Covfefe coffee” — a coffee with whipped cream and cinnamon, with a name derived from a recent tweet by the president. 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. 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.

The excitement was palpable at Shaw’s, where many customers said they took time away from work or school because they wanted to watch with a crowd.

“I thought it was a place where I could come and watch with a bunch of liberals,” said Heather Dade, 44.

Todd Shaffer, 55, a commercial real estate agent, predicted that little would get done in the nation’s workplaces.

“No one is working today,” he said.

The crowd grew quiet when the hearing began. Some applauded when Comey said Trump’s administration had spread “lies, plain and simple” and “defamed” him and the FBI.

“When he called the president a liar basically, that was impressive,” said Caitrin McKee, 35, of Silver Spring, Maryland.