Kyle Gass is breaking his silence about the joke that brought his and Jack Black’s band Tenacious D’s tour to an abrupt halt.
speaks to Rolling Stone for an interview published on January 14, Gass reflected on the controversy surrounding his onstage comment about Donald Trump’s assassination attempt and confirmed that the band will reunite in the future.
The backlash stemmed from a concert in Australia in July 2024, where Gass joked that his birthday wish would be “don’t miss Trump next time”, days after the former president was wounded in a shooting at a campaign rally. Black quickly canceled the band’s remaining tour dates, saying he felt “blindsided” by the remark, leading to widespread criticism and a public apology from Gass.
Looking back, Gass admitted he failed to grasp the gravity of the moment. “I didn’t feel like I was in touch with it. If I was over there, I think I would have gotten more serious from an assassination attempt,” he told the magazine, explaining that being abroad made him feel disconnected from the American news cycle.
He also defended Black’s response, saying he “did what he felt he had to do.” Gass added, “We’re always separate people and we’re on different career paths,” noting that he understood Black’s need to protect his career.
“It was hard to take responsibility for it, but it was my f***up,” Gass said. “Five monosyllable words that brought down the empire.”
The pair “hashed it out,” which Gass described as difficult but necessary. “It’s like a marriage,” he said. “You go through these ups and downs and try to understand your partner.”
As for Tenacious D’s future, Gass made one thing clear: “We’re not serving any D wine until it’s D time — but we’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
