Paul Ryan: Rage Against the Machine 'were never my favorite band'

In a bombshell about-face that is sure to shake up the nascent 2016 presidential race, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 2012, revealed that Rage Against the Machine "were never my favorite band" in an interview with The New York Times Magazine.

"Led Zeppelin has always been my favorite band," said Ryan, who is promoting a new book, The Way Forward. "Again, these urban legends get going."

He also put some distance between himself and Rage, the rap-rock outfit that made their name raging against, well, people like Paul Ryan. "I hate the lyrics, but I like the sound," Ryan said.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Ryan's fondness for Rage was one of the highlights of his campaign bio in 2012, underscoring his relative youth and his image as a fresh face of the Republican Party.

No word yet on whether Ryan has changed his mind about mass militant poetry and bringing it back the other way.