Kyle Gass is breaking his silence on the joke that brought his and Jack Black’s band Tenacious D’s tour to an abrupt halt.
Speaking to Rolling Stone for an interview published January 14, Gass reflected on the controversy surrounding his onstage comment about Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and confirmed the band will reunite in the future.
The backlash stemmed from a July 2024 concert in Australia, where Gass joked that his birthday wish would be “don’t miss Trump next time,” days after the former president was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally. Black quickly cancelled the band’s remaining tour dates and said he felt “blindsided” by the remark, prompting 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 the gravity of an assassination attempt,” he told the outlet, explaining that being overseas made him feel disconnected from the U.S. news cycle.
He also defended Black’s response, saying he “was doing what he felt he had to do.” Gass added, “We’re separate people, always, and we’re on different career paths,” noting 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 one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”
The pair eventually “hashed it out,” which Gass described as difficult but necessary. “It is 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 will serve no D-wine before it’s D-time — but we will be back. We will return.”
