You’ve probably seen the TikToks. A guy with a MetroCard taped to a microphone, standing on a moving New York City subway car, asking people for their "hot takes." It’s Subway Takes, the brainchild of Kareem Rahma. It’s usually lighthearted, kinda chaotic, and very New York. But back in late 2024, the show almost broke the internet for a completely different reason.
We’re talking about the "lost" episode. The one where Subway Takes Kamala Harris was supposed to be the digital campaign's crown jewel.
Instead, it became a legend of what not to do in a political PR blitz. Honestly, the story behind why this clip never hit your feed is way more interesting than the interview probably would have been. It’s a mix of bad timing, weird vibes, and a debate about whether bacon is actually a spice.
The Interview That Was "Too Weird" to Air
In the heat of the 2024 presidential campaign, the DNC was trying everything to reach Gen Z. They booked the big podcasts, the "brat" summer memes were peaking, and eventually, they landed on the subway with Kareem Rahma. The plan was simple: Kamala Harris would give a relatable, "hot take" on a mundane topic, showing her human side.
It didn't go that way.
According to Rahma, who finally opened up about the ordeal in mid-2025 during an interview with Forbes, the session was—in his words—"confusing and weird."
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The Bacon Debacle
The core of a Subway Takes episode is the "take." Usually, it's something like "naps are a waste of time" or "don't wear shoes on a plane."
Harris reportedly showed up with a pre-approved take about not removing shoes on airplanes. Safe. Relatable. A bit boring, but fine for a Vice President. But then, things got off-track. She reportedly pivoted to a new take: "Bacon is a spice."
Now, if you're a regular person, that's just a quirky opinion. But for the context of this specific show, it created an immediate, awkward hurdle. Kareem Rahma is Muslim. He doesn't eat pork.
The campaign reportedly realized the optics were... not great. They tried to pivot again, this time suggesting a take about anchovies on pizza. By the time they were done shuffling through focus-grouped "opinions," the energy in the subway car was dead.
Why the Campaign Nuked the Clip
Politics is all about control. By 2024, the Harris campaign was terrified of "word salad" moments or anything that looked unscripted in a "cringe" way.
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- The Vibe Check: Rahma mentioned that the interview just didn't feel natural.
- The Mutual Agreement: Both the campaign and the Subway Takes production team agreed to bury the footage.
- The Fear of the Fail: Rahma famously told Forbes he felt "lucky" it didn't air because he didn't want to be the guy blamed for her losing the election if the clip went viral for being bizarre.
It's a rare look behind the curtain of how modern political "authenticity" is manufactured. When the "authentic" moment feels too forced, it’s often safer to just delete the file and pretend it never happened.
Comparing the Walz Approach
Interestingly, Tim Walz did appear on the show. His episode aired, featuring him talking about home maintenance or some other "dad" topic that fit his brand perfectly. It worked because it felt like something he actually cared about. The contrast between his successful segment and the Subway Takes Kamala Harris disaster highlights a major struggle of the 2024 trail: trying too hard to be "online."
The Political Fallout of Being "Too Online"
There’s a lesson here for anyone in marketing or politics. You can't force a vibe.
The "Subway Takes" incident wasn't just about a sandwich shop (which, to be clear, the show has nothing to do with the Subway restaurant chain—it’s filmed on the MTA). It was about the friction between a high-stakes politician and the low-stakes world of TikTok.
When a candidate tries to participate in a trend but has to run their "hot take" through three layers of advisors, it ceases to be a hot take. It becomes a press release. And the internet smells a press release from a mile away.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Story
Some people think the interview was deleted because of a gaffe or a policy mistake. It wasn't. It was deleted because it was boring and awkward.
In the world of social media, being "offensive" is sometimes better than being "weirdly incoherent." The campaign knew that a clip of Harris struggling to defend whether bacon is a spice would be prime fodder for "cringe" compilations.
Actionable Insights for Digital Strategy
If you're looking at this from a brand perspective, here is what we can learn from the Subway Takes Kamala Harris saga:
- Commit to the Bit: If you're going on a show known for raw, unfiltered opinions, you can't bring a script.
- Know the Host: Pitching a pork-based "hot take" to a Muslim host is a basic research failure that could have been avoided.
- Kill the Ego: Sometimes, the best PR move is the one the public never sees. Deleting the footage was likely the smartest move the campaign made that week.
If you're ever in NYC and see a guy with a MetroCard on a mic, maybe keep your takes simple. And if you're running for office? Maybe stick to the deli.
Next Steps for You
- Check the Archive: You can still find the Tim Walz Subway Takes episode on TikTok to see what the "successful" version looks like.
- Research the Host: Look up Kareem Rahma’s other projects, like "Keep the Meter Running," to see how he handles non-political celebrities.
- Analyze the Strategy: Compare this to the "Cooking with Kamala" series from 2020, which many experts feel was a much more successful use of food-based PR.