Kyle Gass Addresses Trump Joke Backlash And The Future Of Tenacious D

Kyle Gass, one-half of the Grammy-winning comedy rock band Tenacious D, is opening up about the Donald Trump joke controversy in 2024. The musician received major backlash after his quick quip onstage, which resulted in the cancellation of the remainder of the band's tour.

Now, Gass is sharing a glimpse of his relationship with bandmate Jack Black after the incident, and whether or not Tenacious D will be returning on stage.

On July 14, 2024, Tenacious D was performing in Sydney for their Australian tour, which coincidentally was also Gass' birthday. As previously reported by The Blast, Black presented a birthday cake to his bandmate on stage, urging him to make a wish. Gass then said, "Don't miss Trump next time," in reference to the assassination attempt on Trump a day prior.

Tenacious D canceled the rest of their tour afterward, and Black issued a statement that read, "I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday. I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form."

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gass shared what he felt in the immediate aftermath, saying, "It was a very low moment for me." "I just decided to quip about what happened. And it was terrible. It was terrible judgment, obviously. I've felt terrible ever since, because it's such a responsibility to not screw up like that," he told the outlet.

Gass realized that his joke had snowballed into something bigger, with several outlets reporting on what happened and social media users sharing video clips of his Trump joke. "There was no way out. Just panic... It became a worldwide story, which seems so ridiculous now in comparison with all the sh-t that's been happening," he recalled.

Shortly after the backlash, an Australian politician called for Gass to be deported. His agent also dropped him as a client, which he said felt like "an overreaction."

"It's overwhelming. It's like a tsunami of sh-t rolling over you. And then there's the regret. Like, 'Why would I do that?'" he said.

The overall reaction from everyone was a surprise to Gass, but he understood that he made a mistake. "I'm human, I made a mistake. I was going for a joke. But timing is everything. If there was ever a 'too soon,' it was this. And maybe I thought I was on it, or ahead of the curve. But no, it was definitely too soon," he shared.

Black also distanced himself from his bandmate after the controversy, which Gass completely understood. He knew that his longtime friend and bandmate had an image to protect and said that Black just had to do what he needed at that time. Moreover, he expressed that he didn't hold ill feelings toward Black.

Gass and Black met in the late '80s in a theater group and formed Tenacious D in 1994. Despite the two being good friends, they had ups and downs in their relationship. In an interview in 2020, Gass shared the dynamics of their friendship.

While Gass focused more on their music, Black had movie offers left and right, which was a bit difficult for Gass to accept. "The whole Tenacious D thing, combined with Jack's meteoric rise to superstardom, meant that we went through some pretty heady times together," he shared. He let Black know his thoughts about the situation.

Gass still loved Tenacious D and saw how "very good" his friend was in acting. They got over the hiccup and remained friends. "I think it's worked out for the best because we're still really good friends," he added.

While Gass and Black haven't performed as Tenacious D since the cancellation of their tour in 2024, fans will be happy to know that they are still friends, and he's still a big fan of Black. He shared that they have talked since the incident. "We hashed it out. And it was hard. It is like a marriage. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner," he explained.

As for the future of Tenacious D, there are no concrete announcements as of late, but Gass assures everyone that they will be coming back, saying, "We will serve no D-wine before it's D-time, but we will be back. We will return."