Kamala Harris’ awkward bacon gaffe in interview with Muslim influencer

Kamala Harris’ interview with a Muslim social media influencer never saw the light of day after the presidential candidate refused to answer questions about Gaza but instead mentioned bacon – a food religiously prohibited for Muslims.

An interview with Harris was scrapped after Muslim influencer Kareem Rahma was barred from discussing the genocide in Gaza, instead finding himself in an awkward conversation about bacon. Rahma, whose show ‘Subway Takes’ was set to feature Harris, claimed her team blocked his efforts to address Israel’s war on Gaza, a key concern for Arab-American and Muslim voters.

Subway Takes, which boasts almost a million combined followers on Instagram and TikTok, made the decision to scrap the interview with Harris, which was filmed over the summer, he told the New York Times.

Kamala Harris went on a podcast hosted by a Muslim. They’ve never aired it.

She refused to talk about the war in Gaza and then brought up how bacon is a good “spice”.

How does Kamala, a woman of Indian descent, NOT know that Muslims don’t eat pork? pic.twitter.com/h46o9YoUwS

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) November 5, 2024

Prior to the interview, Rahma was hoping to press Harris on policy, specifically the Biden administration’s support for the occupation state amid the ongoing war in Gaza and Lebanon. But, despite asking on three calls with her team and the Democratic National Committee, he was “rejected.”

“[Rahma] ultimately agreed to the terms, reasoning that he could choose not to publish the video if it made him uneasy,” the Times story said.

According to the report, when Rahma sat down with Harris for the interview, she shared a different hot take than was originally agreed, declaring that “bacon is a spice.” In the unaired clip seen by the outlet, Rahma appeared visibly uncomfortable and tried to steer the conversation to alternatives like beef or turkey.

READ: Trump: We’re gonna take care of Israel

“Think about it, it’s pure flavour,” she said, according to footage. Rahma then reportedly paused the interview to tell her he doesn’t eat pork, then attempted to redirect Harris to the agreed-upon topic of taking off shoes mid-flight.

i profiled the very busy Kareem Rahma and got the story of Kamala Harris’s never-published “Subway Take” https://t.co/oGtu6l4sCu

— Reggie Ugwu (@uugwuu) November 4, 2024

“Well,” Rahma told Harris in the recording. “I’m 100% unsure on both of those.” Rahma ultimately chose not to air the interview, fearing that it would upset the Muslim community. “He had been apprehensive about potential criticism from other Muslims, and the bacon talk had thrown him off,” the Times reported.

“It was so complicated because I’m Muslim and there’s something going on in the world that 100 percent of Muslims care about,” Rahma told the outlet.

Two senior Harris campaign officials told the outlet that Rahma had been informed about the bacon topic in advance but Rahma and his manager disputed this.

Trump has now won the US election after picking up three key battleground states. “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he said to supporters in Florida as he declared a “magnificent victory.”

Harris has faced backlash from pro-Palestine activists at rallies over her tone-deaf response to their concerns and reactions to her remarks about Gaza and Lebanon. In Michigan, a swing state with a substantial Muslim population, voted for Trump after recently gaining endorsement from Dearborn Heights Mayor Bill Bazzi, further signalling Republican outreach to Arab-American voters.

READ: Palestinians pin no faith in Trump or Harris