Sophie Bennett
In May 2019, US Congressman Steve Cohen brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a ceramic chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing. The stunt was a jab at Attorney General William Barr, who did not appear for his scheduled hearing. Cohen's actions sparked a viral meme and the hashtag #ChickenBarr.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Steve Cohen |
| Party | Democratic |
| State | Tennessee |
| District | TN-09 |
| Position | Representative |
| Committee | House Judiciary Committee |
| Date | May 2, 2019 |
| Time | Before 9 a.m. |
| Food | Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) |
| Prop | Ceramic/plastic chicken |
| Target | Attorney General William Barr |
| Reason | Barr's refusal to testify |
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What You'll Learn
Steve Cohen's plastic chicken statue
On May 2, 2019, Democratic Representative Steve Cohen of Tennessee brought a plastic chicken statue and a bucket of KFC fried chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Cohen brought these items to mock and criticise Attorney General William Barr's refusal to appear and testify about special counsel Robert Mueller's report.
Cohen suggested that Barr was "'chicken" and "afraid to testify" by bringing these items to the hearing. The congressman also ate the chicken during the hearing, which started before 9 am, and stated, "He's here," while pointing to the chicken, referring to Barr's absence.
Cohen's actions sparked a viral meme of a congressman eating fried chicken during a hearing. The congressman himself joined in on the fun on Twitter, responding to a question about why he brought the bucket of chicken to the hearing with: "Why is this hearing different from all other hearings?"
The Justice Department informed the committee that Barr would not be attending the hearing after a week of tense exchanges with Democrats over the terms of his testimony. Barr had spent over five hours testifying at a Senate hearing the previous day, defending his summary of the Mueller report's findings.
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Attorney General William Barr's absence
On May 2, 2019, Congressman Steve Cohen brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a plastic chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing. This was done to troll and shade Attorney General William Barr, who was absent from the hearing. Barr had testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee the previous day about Robert Mueller's report and announced he would not attend the Congressional hearing the next day.
Cohen's actions were interpreted as suggesting that Barr was afraid to testify. The congressman also made statements referring to Barr's absence, such as "Chicken Barr should have shown up today and answered questions," and "He's here," pointing to the bucket of chicken.
Barr, a longtime proponent of the unitary executive theory of nearly unfettered presidential authority, served as United States Attorney General under President George H. W. Bush from 1991 to 1993 and again under President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2020. Barr resigned from his position in December 2020, amidst tension with President Trump over the president's baseless claims of election fraud and the investigation into President-elect Joe Biden's son.
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Kentucky Fried Chicken for breakfast
The hearing was scheduled to include testimony from Attorney General William Barr, who had spent over five hours the previous day testifying before the Senate about his handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report. However, Barr refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee, prompting Cohen's unusual breakfast choice.
Cohen's actions were a playful yet pointed jab at Barr's absence. As lawmakers and the press waited to see if Barr would show up, Cohen dug into his bucket of fried chicken, even offering some to another woman. He then left the empty bucket and the plastic chicken on the table where Barr would have sat, stating, "He's here," drawing a connection between Barr and the idea of being "chicken."
The stunt was well-received, with Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., sharing a laugh with Cohen. Photos and videos of the incident circulated on Twitter, and the hashtag #ChickenBarr trended. Cohen himself joined in the fun, retweeting various posts about the incident and responding to inquiries about his breakfast choice with a witty reference.
So, while Kentucky Fried Chicken for breakfast may not be a typical choice, for Congressman Steve Cohen, it was a creative way to make a statement and add a touch of levity to a serious hearing.
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The #ChickenBarr hashtag
#ChickenBarr
On May 2, 2019, Rep. Steve Cohen brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a plastic chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing. The stunt was performed to mock Attorney General William Barr, who refused to testify before the committee. Cohen's actions sparked the hashtag #ChickenBarr on Twitter, with users poking fun at Barr's absence from the hearing.
Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee, arrived at the hearing with the bucket of KFC and a ceramic chicken statue. He proceeded to eat the chicken during the hearing, even offering some to another woman. After finishing his breakfast, Cohen placed the bucket and statue on the witness desk where Barr would have been seated, posing for photographers. The congressman later told reporters, "Chicken Barr should have shown up today and answered questions... this man was picked to be Donald Trump's fixer. The Black Sox look clean compared to this team. It's a sad day in America."
Cohen's actions were interpreted as a symbolic gesture to convey his displeasure with Barr's decision not to testify. The hearing focused on Barr's handling of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's Russia report, with Democrats pressing the Attorney General on a letter from Mueller complaining that Barr hadn't "fully captured" the substance of his report. Barr had spent over five hours testifying at a Senate hearing the previous day and refused to appear before the House Judiciary Committee, citing his objection to the presence of committee lawyers.
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Cohen's response to a Twitter user
On May 2, 2019, Rep. Steve Cohen brought a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken and a plastic chicken to a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Attorney General William Barr had refused to testify at the hearing, and Cohen's actions were intended to mock Barr for being "too chicken" to face the committee.
When a Twitter user asked why he had brought the bucket of chicken to the hearing, Cohen replied with a joke, referencing a line from a well-known joke: "Why is this hearing different from all other hearings?". Cohen also pointed to the chicken and said, "He's here," indicating that Barr was absent.
Cohen's actions and responses to the Twitter user quickly went viral, with the hashtag #ChickenBarr trending on Twitter. Photos and videos of Cohen eating the chicken during the hearing circulated on social media, and he was praised for his stunt, with people enjoying the humour behind it.
In response to the attention, Cohen released a statement, saying, "Chicken Barr should have shown up today and answered questions... this man was picked to be Donald Trump's fixer. The Black Sox look clean compared to this team. It's a sad day in America."
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Frequently asked questions
Congressman Steve Cohen brought a bucket of chicken to the House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Cohen brought the chicken to mock Attorney General William Barr for not testifying at the hearing.
Cohen called Barr "chicken", saying "Chicken Barr should have shown up today and answered questions".
In addition to the bucket of chicken, Cohen brought a plastic or ceramic chicken statue.
Some people found the stunt amusing, and photos of Cohen eating the chicken circulated on Twitter. The hashtag #ChickenBarr also became a trending topic on the platform.
