DC has almost no bars where Trump supporters congregate and proudly wear their red hats. There’s the Trump hotel, of course. And then there’s Harry’s—a dive-y, diner-esque spot a block away that’s particularly popular with the younger MAGA crowd. It’s also a place where members of the Proud Boys have gathered.
The President has never been there (or any DC restaurant beyond the one in his hotel during his term), but on Tuesday evening he retweeted a video of police officers walking through Harry’s to applause, fist bumps, and “back the blue” chants.
The video is filled with apparent phase two violations. For starters, almost no one is wearing a mask except for the staff and the cops. No one is making any attempts at social distancing. And several patrons are standing around the bar, despite DC restrictions that prohibit standing in a bar area.
“This matter has been assigned for investigation,” says a spokesperson for DC’s Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration. Harry’s received a verbal warning for insufficient table spacing on July 3.
At Harry’s in DC, 1 block from Trump Hotel.
This is how everyone responded to the police walking in! pic.twitter.com/rA1PVghnIo
— David J Harris Jr (@DavidJHarrisJr) October 6, 2020
“For us, it’s more of an after-hours place. After the Trump closes, we’ll typically end up there if we’re going to have a late night,” says Republican political consultant and commentator Harlan Hill told Washingtonian back in January. “You’ll see familiar faces: other people who do Fox, some congressmen, but it’s not as common as at the Trump.”
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
