--- ---  # Congressman Brings Bucket of Fried Chicken to the Committee Hearing to Troll Barr by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan May 2, 2019 2:14 PM UTC  Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., left, laughs with Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., right, after Cohen arrived with a bucked of fried chicken and a prop chicken as Attorney General William Barr will not appear before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2019. Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., left, laughs with Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., right, after Cohen arrived with a bucked of fried chicken and a prop chicken as Attorney General William Barr will not appear before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, May 2, 2019.Andrew Harnik—AP by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan May 2, 2019 2:14 PM UTC Rep. Steve Cohen may have been trying to make a joke when he arrived to a [House Judiciary Committee hearing](http://time.com/5575776/nadler-subpoena-mcgahn-white-house-lawyer/) with fried chicken. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t enjoy his [breakfast](http://time.com/5516364/is-eating-breakfast-healthy/). Ahead of the 9 a.m. hearing on Thursday, the Tennessee [Democrat](http://time.com/5581861/michael-bennet-2020-presidential-campaign/) ate Kentucky Fried Chicken out of its famous container. But Cohen told those at the hearing that it was more than just breakfast. He pointed to the chicken and said, “He’s here,” according to a tweet from the Guardian’s Lauren Gambino — apparently a reference to [Attorney General William Barr](http://time.com/5581039/masterful-hairsplitting-senate-democrats-criticize-attorney-general-over-mueller-probe/)‘s absence from the [hearing](http://time.com/5581399/william-barr-congress-testimony-democrats/). The Congressman also brought a plastic chicken to accompany his snack. > [](https://twitter.com/laurenegambino/status/1123935812729626624) “Chicken Barr should have shown up today,” Cohen said, according to TIME’s Alana Abramson. Barr [testified](http://time.com/5581003/william-barr-senate-testimony-opening-statement/) Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee about [Robert Mueller’s report](http://time.com/5581550/kamala-harris-william-barr/), but [announced Wednesday](http://time.com/5581552/william-barr-snubs-house-mueller-testimony/) that he wouldn’t attend the Congressional hearing the following day. > [](https://twitter.com/aabramson/status/1123944093892194304) > [](https://twitter.com/desiderioDC/status/1123934764812128264) Cohen himself got in on the fun on Twitter. Someone asked why he had the fried chicken at this hearing, and Cohen had the best response. “Why is this hearing different from all other hearings?” Beyond further making his point against Barr, Cohen referenced a line — Why is this night different from all other nights? — from prayers during the [Jewish holiday of Passover](http://time.com/5561441/passover-10-plagues-real-history/), which was observed in April. > [](https://twitter.com/RepCohen/status/1123937432146272257) But don’t worry, he didn’t hog the famous Southern treat all to himself, offering some to his fellow members of Congress, Gambino reports. Other videos and photos shared by reporters on Twitter show a hungry Congressional committee. > [](https://twitter.com/laurenegambino/status/1123936014404333569) > [](https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1123942762586488832) > [](https://twitter.com/andyharnik/status/1123936905102548999) Congressman Brought a Bucket of Fried Chicken to Hearing ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5581923/congressman-eating-fried-chicken-meme/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5581923/congressman-eating-fried-chicken-meme/"},"headline":"Congressman Brings Bucket of Fried Chicken to the Committee Hearing to Troll Barr","datePublished":"2019-05-02T14:14:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:58:52.367Z","description":"Rep. 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