File this under things that don’t surprise us in the least: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has rather batshit taste in music.
Earlier this week, Rubio made an appearance on The Katie Miller Podcast, hosted by the wife of Stephen Miller, a.k.a. the Worst
Living White House Aide in History, in which he claimed not to like country music and then stereotyped the genre with the panache of an eighth grader. “Most of the songs are about, like, somebody whose wife and dog left them,” Rubio said, adding that he finds the music “too sad.” To be fair, his wife, Jeanette, quickly jumped in to defend country music, suggesting he “listen to Morgan Wallen,” an artist who does not, at press time, have any songs about being left by both his wife and dog.
Even worse, Rubio then noted the one version of country music he does like: terrible EDM mixes. Specifically, one that uses Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire.” While he did not name exactly which remix he is partial to, this one, by Wuki, could be a top contender for its popularity on TikTok (it’s predictably nauseating enough to spark the fancy of someone like Rubio). The man his boss often called “Little Marco” said he likes EDM because it “fuses classical music, country music,” and went on to mention that he is not allowed to play his music in the car because it gives his wife a headache. You can watch the exchange on the, uh, U.S. Department of State Facebook page.
Miller then asked Rubio, who apparently likes to quote rap songs, to name his favorite rapper. Rubio claimed Tupac Shakur — but with the mind-boggling caveat that “obviously he never lived long enough to see what he would have turned in to.” Tupac is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential rappers of all time. (Not to be that guy, but name one Tupac deep cut, Rubio.)
Perhaps it’s time for our political figures to do a more immersive dive when it comes to modern rap music. In 2020, when asked about the best living rapper, Kamala Harris responded “Tupac,” who is, famously, dead. At least she didn’t say an EDM remix of “Dear Mama.”
Rubio has professed his love of EDM before, notably in conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper during the Republican primaries in 2016. “I’ve never been to a rave,” he stressed to the host. But he sure has played DJ. In May, as the U.S. was at war, gas prices surged, and division roiled American democracy, Rubio hopped behind the turntables at a wedding. His song of choice? Calvin Harris’s “Feel So Close.”
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