Since Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) as her running mate, he has charmed the internet with his down-home folksiness and Midwestern sensibilities.
People likened him to the favorite neighbor and the dad they always wanted. In another endearing moment yesterday, Harris and Walz sat down for a one-on-one interview where he told Harris that he ate “white guy” tacos.
“Like, I have white guy tacos and—pretty much ground beef and cheese.”
“Do you put any flavor in it?” Harris asked.
“No,” Walz said as Harris chuckled. “Black pepper is the top of the spice level in Minnesota.”
The line was instantly endearing.
“LOVE THESE TWO,” wrote one.
“I love this interaction!! Both are amazing and much needed,” added another.
‘A hotdish dynasty is born’
But, the claim didn’t sit well on the right. Not for besmirching the many of them who consider themselves White and capable of handling properly seasoned food, but because in the wake of Walz’s misleading comments about serving in combat, they consider him a phony.
And to their credit, they found his “Turkey Taco Tot Hotdish,” an award-winning casserole he baked at now-canceled former senator Al Franken’s hotdish off.
“A Hotdish dynasty is born,” Rep. Walz said after taking home top honors in 2018 for the third straight year.
His taco-inspired recipe includes everything one might find in, on, or around a proper taco, including “bell pepper, onion, green chilies, taco sauce, paprika, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic powder.”
“Geezus. On a hunch I thought. Hmmm I wonder if Tim Walz is lying about how people in Minnesota don’t season their food,” wrote commentator Mike Cernovich, sharing the recipe.
“Dude will literally lie about anything,” wrote one person in response.
“It’s political theater,” added another. “@Tim_Walz has to take a submissive role as the flavor-challenged boring White man next to @KamalaHarris’ spicy, pepper-growing multicultural girl boss.”
In the video, Harris claims she is the first vice president to ever grow chili peppers, though Thomas Jefferson actually holds that title.
Now, Walz defenders are frantically calling it a joke, claiming the bit (which the right-wing criticism noted it might have been) was lost on them.
“Every Minnesotan jokes about how Minnesota can’t handle spice. He made the most Midwest joke ever. I know the concept of a joke goes over right wingers’ heads so this shouldn’t surprise me,” wrote one.
“Tim walz made a joke about ‘white people tacos’ and the right is treating it like watergate,” added another poster.
We may never be certain but one thing is for sure: We will never escape 2016.
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