Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Tim Walz gets real — about gutters — on TikTok show

‘My take is the most neglected part of home ownership is the gutters,’ Democratic vice presidential nominee advised on Subway Takes

Gustaf Kilander
Washington DC
Tuesday 27 August 2024 19:01 EDT
Comments
Harris campaign trolls Trump by playing chicken sounds over debate comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz took to TikTok to talk gutters on Tuesday - noting that this aspect of home ownership often remains “neglected”, when asked for his hot take.

The Minnesota governor hit peak Midwestern Dad stride on the show Subway Takes. Hosted by Kareem Rahma, video clips involve asking people on the New York subway to share their opinions on something that may be controversial or unpopular.

“My take is the most neglected part of home ownership is the gutters,” Kamala Harris running mate said. “It’s personal for me.”

“I’ve had problems with gutters before, you get your basement wet, you get ice dams,” he added. “It caused a lot of problems.”

Walz then lauded the beauty of Minnesota in the fall before discussing the dangers of gutter maintenance.

“I’ve seen many a man fall off a ladder,” Rahma said.

The VP nominee went on to recommend a “gutter helmet” to prevent leaves from getting into the troughs.

“I try not to be judgemental on people, but when I see a well-tended gutter, it says a lot about somebody,” Walz said to laughter from Rahma.

When asked if he preferred a well-tended lawn or having the gutters taken care of, Walz didn’t hesitate.

“I’d go with the gutters ... I think gutters are a big thing, that they really matter,” he said.

The top comment on the video is from Walz himself: “Gutter helmets. Trust me on this one.”

Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz reacts during the Democratic National Convention on August 21. The Minnesota gov shared his top tips for gutters on TikTok show, Subway Takes
Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz reacts during the Democratic National Convention on August 21. The Minnesota gov shared his top tips for gutters on TikTok show, Subway Takes (AP)

The Harris campaign on TikTok called Walz, “America’s dad.”

“Name a person in the White House in the last 20 years that has personally taken care of gutters. I love this guy,” one commenter wrote.

Harris Deputy Campaign Manager Rob Flaherty shared the Subway Takes episode on X, where it quickly won more than a million views.

“80/20 odds at this point they put Walz on Hot Ones,” one user said.

“There has never been a more dad-coded man than Tim Walz. Pure,” podcaster Patrick Wyman wrote.

“VP Walz is 100 percent going to be on a scissor lift at the Naval Observatory cleaning gutters next year,” another account holder said.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in