A Muslim social media influencer revealed the reason he decided not to air an interview he had conducted with Vice President Kamala Harris over the summer.
The host of the internet talk show “Subway Takes,” Kareem Rahma, hoped to question Harris about the administration’s support for Israel as the war in Gaza continues. The show’s premise is to talk to a guest on a train ride as they defend their “take” on a subject that may be unpopular. But after three attempts contacting Harris’s staff and the Democratic National Committee for an interview, Rahma was “rejected,” according to The New York Times.
Instead of discussing the topic he was after, a different “take” was presented in which Harris would defend not taking shoes off while on a plane.
“[Rahma] ultimately agreed to the terms, reasoning that he could choose not to publish the video if it made him uneasy,” The Times reported.
“When they sat down, however, Harris had surprised him with a different take: ‘Bacon is a spice.’ (Two senior campaign officials said this topic had been raised in advance. Rahma and his manager dispute this.),” the article continues. “Rahma, who doesn’t eat pork for religious reasons, was taken aback.”
This anecdote sums up the Harris bid: the campaign said no to Gaza questions, she talked about bacon instead, accidentally offended the host, and then needed an adviser to provide her with an alternate opinion on pizza toppings. https://t.co/BvHFeTZagf pic.twitter.com/NhDD9sLatH
— Sarah Bedford (@sarahcbedford) November 4, 2024
In a recording of the unaired interview, the 38-year-old who was born in Cairo to Egyptian parents, pushed back on the “take,” saying, “I don’t know,” as the vice president defended using bacon as a flavor enhancer on meals.
“Think about it, it’s pure flavor,” she said, according to the footage.
According to The New York Times:
Rahma asks Harris if he can use beef or turkey and what kinds of dishes would benefit from bacon. He then pauses the interview and tells her that he doesn’t eat it. He asks if they can do the airplanes take instead. But, on the advice of a staffer, Harris decides to declare her love of anchovies on pizza — an alternative the campaign had floated earlier in an email. Rahma wraps the discussion one minute later.
“Well,” he reportedly said. “I’m 100 percent unsure on both of those.”
He expressed to the outlet how he was unsure how the Muslim community would perceive the interview and decided not to air it.
“It was so complicated because I’m Muslim and there’s something going on in the world that 100 percent of Muslims care about,” he said. “And then they made it worse by talking about anchovies. Boring!”
Harris’s campaign reportedly apologized for the take on bacon and offered a reshoot, but Rahma declined.
A separate interview he had conducted with Harris’s running mate, Gov. Tim Walz went well however as the Democrat talked about gutter maintenance.
