Kyle Gass is breaking his silence on the prank that abruptly interrupted his tour with Jack Black’s band Tenacious D.
Talk to rolling stone For an interview published on January 14, Gass reflected on the controversy surrounding his onstage comment about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump and confirmed that the group would reunite in the future.
The backlash stems from a July 2024 concert in Australia, where Gass joked that his birthday wish would be to “not miss Trump next time,” days after the former president was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally. Black quickly canceled the band’s remaining tour dates and said he felt “blindsided” by the remark, sparking widespread criticism and a public apology from Gass.
Looking back, Gass admitted he didn’t grasp the gravity of the moment. “I didn’t feel like I was in touch with it. If I had been there, I think I would have understood more the seriousness of an assassination attempt,” he told the outlet, explaining that being abroad made him feel disconnected from the American news cycle.
He also defended Black’s response, saying he was “doing what he thought he had to do.” Gass added, “We’re still 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 shit,” Gass said. “Five one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”
The two men eventually “talked,” which Gass described as difficult but necessary. “It’s like a marriage,” he says. “You go through these ups and downs and try to understand your partner.”
As for the future of Tenacious D, Gass made one thing clear: “We won’t be serving D wine until D time – but we will be back. We will be back.”
