Tim Walz’s ‘Controversial’ Take on Burgers Goes Viral

A recent episode of SubwayTakes that captured Tim Walz expressing a “controversial” opinion when it comes to cheeseburgers has drawn thousands of views on social media.

SubwayTakes is a web series created by comedian Kareem Rahma—with most interviews lasting less than two minutes—that examines controversial opinions among subway riders in New York City. On Tuesday, Rahma posted a two-minute interview with Walz, Minnesota’s governor and Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the post on X (formerly Twitter) has amassed nearly 25,000 views. Exposure was even greater on Instagram, where more than 100,000 people engaged with the video.

During the last topic of discussion in the clip, Rahma asked Walz, “And you believe that cheese belongs on the inside of the burger?”

“I know this is very controversial for folks, but…I do believe it should be inside,” Walz replied.

“It’s like a hot chocolate molten lava cake except beef and cheese,” Rahma said.

“He knows his Minnesota well,” Walz responded while laughing.

The two discussed other topics as well, including why Walz believes gutters are the most neglected aspect of homeownership and can cause a lot of problems if not properly cared for. They also sang the jingle for Menards, the home improvement store chain.

Not once did the pair discuss policies or the presidential election. The casual interview with Walz comes as Harris has faced increasing scrutiny for her lack of interviews with the media since the Democratic National Convention last week.

Newsweek has reached out to Harris’ campaign by email for comment.

Harris plans to schedule a sit-down interview by the end of August, CNN reported, citing a senior adviser in her campaign. Before becoming the Democratic nominee, Harris hadn’t spoken with the media for weeks.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has participated in several sit-down interviews, including one with Shawn Ryan, a former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor, that aired on Monday. Trump spent more than an hour with Ryan, discussing his plans should he win the election, including his take on artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, the Russia-Ukraine war and the assassination attempt in July.

Rahma’s brief interaction with Walz demonstrated the Minnesota governor’s ease on camera—particularly when the interview is compared with video footage of Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, at a Georgia doughnut shop last week.

However, reactions to Rahma’s video were mixed. Many people complimented Walz for acting like an “American dad” and quipped that he needed a home improvement show. Others, however, wished he hadaddressed more serious topics.

“SOMEONE PLEASE ASK ABOUT FREE CHILD CARE FROM BIRTH AND NOT ABOUT HIS [GUTTERS]!” one Instagram commenter said.

Another commenter asked for Rahma to interview Trump next. Others questioned if the interview really occurred on a New York subway.