Kyle Gass, the lesser-known half of the rock duo Tenacious D, is walking back a controversial onstage joke he made in the aftermath of the 2024 assassination attempt on Donald Trump — admitting in a new interview that the comment was a major mistake.
“It was terrible judgment, obviously,” Gass told Rolling Stone in a feature tied to the release of his new live album. “I was naive… I thought I was safe in the bubble.”
The incident occurred in July 2024 while Gass and his bandmate, actor Jack Black, were performing in Australia. When offered the chance to make a birthday wish in front of the audience, Gass cracked, “Don’t miss Trump next time” — a reference to the failed assassination attempt at Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, just days earlier.
The fallout was immediate and severe. The remark, caught on video and shared widely online, sparked bipartisan outrage. Jack Black promptly canceled the remainder of the tour and publicly distanced himself from Gass, claiming he had been “blindsided.”
Gass says the consequences hit hard and fast. “It was a Defcon 2 for sure in the camp,” he said. “And I did it. It was hard to take responsibility, but it was my f***-up.”
Reflecting on the controversy, Gass says he was trying to be outrageous in the moment — but failed to consider the gravity of his words. “I wasn’t thinking straight. It is serious business. You never want to fan those flames or be snarky about it,” he said. “And I touched the stove.”
He insists the intent was not malicious. “I was trying to make the band laugh. I wasn’t overthinking it — obviously.”
Now, months later, Gass says he and Black have reconciled. “We’ve hashed it out,” he said, hinting at a future reunion.
Still, the musician admits the scandal forced him to take “the long ride home,” noting that Black’s high-profile Hollywood career meant there was more at stake. “Jack has this magnificent career; I can’t even count the franchises now.”
The Trump joke has become one of the most notorious moments in Gass’s career, and he knows it. “I’ve felt terrible ever since. It’s such a responsibility not to screw up like that.”
Whether the public is ready to forgive — or forget — remains to be seen.
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