Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass Says Trump Shooting Remark Was ‘Terrible,’ Speaks on Relationship With Jack Black: ‘We Had to Take the Break’

Kyle Gass of the comedy rock duo Tenacious D has broken his silence regarding the intense backlash from a joke he made about the 2024 assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Gass described his off-the-cuff stage comment as a profound lapse in judgment, admitting he was "naive" about the explosive reaction it would provoke. The remark was delivered during a July 2024 concert in Sydney, Australia—coinciding with Gass's birthday and occurring just one day after the rally shooting.

The moment happened as bandmate Jack Black brought out a birthday cake. When asked for a wish, Gass said, "Don't miss Trump next time," a line he now calls "highly inappropriate, dangerous, and a terrible mistake." The quip instantly became a headline story across right-wing media platforms, sparking a firestorm that resulted in the immediate cancellation of Tenacious D's scheduled tour and forced the pair into an indefinite hiatus. Jack Black quickly issued a separate statement condemning the remark, asserting he "would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form." This public disavowal marked a significant rupture for the longtime collaborators, whose partnership began in the early 1990s after meeting as students at UCLA.

Gass confessed he was wholly unprepared for the global magnitude of the fallout. He told the magazine he didn't grasp the severity until later that night when the story exploded worldwide, noting how the situation "just got worse and worse" as it spread. The professional and personal consequences were immediate and severe, with Gass characterizing the internal band crisis as a "Defcon 2" level emergency. The overwhelming stress, he admitted, impaired his judgment as criticism mounted, making a strategic retreat the only viable option. "I’ve felt terrible ever since, because it’s such a responsibility to not screw up like that," Gass stated, reflecting on the weight of his words.

The scandal placed enormous pressure on his decades-long creative marriage with Jack Black, which Gass compared to a union with inevitable disputes. He detailed a difficult reconciliation process, saying, "We hashed it out, and it was hard. You go through these ups and downs, and try to understand your partner." Gass expressed clear understanding for Black's need to publicly distance himself, recognizing that Black's thriving solo career in blockbuster film franchises like *Jumanji* and *Kung Fu Panda* meant the controversy posed a distinct threat to his broader professional endeavors. This dynamic illustrates a common challenge in celebrity partnerships where one member has a major independent brand, often necessitating swift damage control to protect ancillary projects and endorsements.

Despite the extended pause, Gass insists the Grammy-winning duo will reunite. Tenacious D, known for cult hits like "Tribute" and their 2006 film *Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny*, remains a going concern. "We will serve no D-wine before it’s D-time — but we will be back. We will return," he proclaimed. For now, Gass is channeling his energy into new material with his side project, the Kyle Gass Band. The entire episode serves as a stark lesson in how a single, unscripted moment in today's hyper-connected digital landscape can spiral into a devastating career crisis, highlighting the precarious balance artists must maintain between provocative humor and public accountability.