Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass Joked About Trump Getting Shot. ‘I’ve Felt Terrible Ever Since’

T
he 14-hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles is already brutal. Crossing the Pacific while the focal point of an international media shitstorm — as Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass did in July 2024 after an ill-timed joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump  — will only make it worse. 

“It’s an arduous flight, and then having to sit in your thoughts of, ‘What have I done?’” Gass tells Rolling Stone from his home in Los Angeles. “It was a very low moment for me.” 

On July 14, 2024, Tenacious D, the comedy rock group Gass co-founded with his friend Jack Black, performed at the ICC Sydney Theatre. It had already been, Gass recalls, a “pretty magical” day: It was the second show of the D’s Australian tour and Gass’ 64th birthday. Earlier, he’d flown over Sydney in his friend’s helicopter. When he showed up at the venue, his dressing room was decorated. Gass was aware that, across the world, a lone gunman had shot at Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring the then-candidate and several others, and killing one. (The shooter, Thomas Crooks, was also killed.) But being that far removed, he says, “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.”

During that night’s concert, Black led the crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday,” while their friend, Mike Bray, dressed in a metal robot costume (a bit for the D’s song “The Metal”), held out a cake filled with candles. When Black told Gass to make a wish, Gass quipped, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” 

The line got laughs, and the show moved along. But later that night, as Gass was celebrating in his hotel room, he started to realize his improvised one-liner was stoking political outrage. An array of right-wing media figures lashed out; Elon Musk called Gass’ comments “contemptible.” Charlie Kirk tweeted, “These people are more twisted and vile than we realized,” and an Australian politician even demanded Tenacious D be deported.

The band canceled its remaining tour dates, as well as a run of Rock the Vote shows in the U.S. Gass issued an apology, calling the joke “highly inappropriate, dangerous, and a terrible mistake.” While he deleted his apology from Instagram days later, he says it wasn’t because he no longer stood by it: “If I would have recanted, I would have said that.”

Black also issued a statement distancing himself from Gass and raising major questions about the band’s future: “I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,” he said. “I would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form. After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold.” 

While some criticized Black for appearing to throw his longtime friend and collaborator under the bus, Gass, speaking about the controversy publicly for the first time, says that Black “was doing what he felt he had to do. We’re separate people, always, and we’re on different career paths. I totally understood what he needed to protect. I didn’t begrudge him any of that.”

In the months after the controversy, Gass laid low, returning to social media a few days after Trump’s reelection (pointedly, with a cover of the Bee Gees’ “I Started a Joke”). By December, he was onstage with his other group, the Kyle Gass Band, and last spring, the KGB’s acoustic offshoot, Kyle Gass Company, toured Europe. After returning to the U.S., the Kyle Gass Band cut a live album at a brewery in Palmdale, California; it’ll be released Friday via A Special Thing Records. (Gass also self-released a solo tune, “What Do I Know,” in late December.)

A year-and-a-half later, Gass is candid and contrite as he opens up about what happened in Sydney, his relationship with Black, and when Tenacious D will return.

“We’re gonna come back — it’s gonna be bigger than Oasis!” Gass says before adding, with a self-conscious laugh: “I was thinking we could play it up more, but that feels a little disingenuous.” (Technically, the group already returned with an REO Speedwagon cover released on a charity record in 2025.)

Even as Gass takes full responsibility and acknowledges the severity of the incident, his sense of humor remains in tact. 

“I was naive, of course — people are gonna pick that up,” he says of the way his joke caught fire. “But I just felt it was kind of a private moment. I thought I was safe in the bubble. And it was so fast.” Then, in a hushed voice suffused with mock gravity, he says, “Five one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”

So, walk me through what you remember about the Sydney show and the aftermath?
Well, I think context is important. First off, Australia is one of our favorite destinations. They’re great fans, and it’s hard to get there. But I can see the calendar, and I’m going, “Wait, my birthday is the second show in Sydney. This is gonna be a blast!” I got some friends over there, it’s a party, I’m feeling pretty special. It’s ironic, because I had thought before, “I’m having the greatest day ever!” 

So, it’s a special show. And it’s everybody’s favorite thing to tour with Tenacious D. I’m on the other side of the world here. I’m in a different hemisphere, I’m in a different continent. And I’m naively forgetting about cameras and such. So [we play] “The Metal,” and then 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. 

I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. It’s one of those things, once it was picked up, it just got worse and worse. It was a Defcon 2 for sure in the camp. And I did it. It was hard to take responsibility for it, but it was my fuck-up. When you’re in it, it’s hard to even think straight. It’s just this thing flooding and coming at you. We had to take the break. And I got it. Jack has this magnificent career; I can’t even count the franchises now. So as hard as it was, I just had to take the long ride home. 

How aware of the assassination attempt were you since you were in Sydney and also enjoying your birthday?
I can be a news hound at home, checking all the time just to see the latest madness. But over there it felt like … “Oh, my God, that’s crazy. It’s terrible.” But I really wasn’t thinking straight through it. It is serious business. You never want to fan those flames or be snarky about it. And I touched the stove. But at the time, I was trying to make the band laugh. Trying to be a little outrageous. I wasn’t overthinking it — obviously. 

Watching the video back, it does seem like you got the laugh.
Honestly, I can’t watch it. I think I might have looked at it once, but even then I was shuttering [my eyes].

Do you have any memories of that moment?
That’s the thing, you’re doing a show for a lot of people, and you’re just in the flow of the experience. And the extra thing of my birthday — not that that gives me carte blanche. But I probably had a shot before the show, I was celebrating with my friends. And when you get a laugh, you’re like, “That worked,” and you’re moving onto the next thing. And it was a great show. We were at the top of our game. We had just come off a European leg, and it was great. You feel bulletproof.

“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.”

When did you realize it was snowballing into something serious? 
We were partying in my hotel room and reports started coming in. “Oh God, oh no, I see what’s happening here.” And then it just kept getting worse. There was no way out. Just panic … It became a worldwide story, which seems so ridiculous now in comparison with all the shit that’s been [happening].

One Australian politician called for you to be deported. What was your reaction to that?  
It didn’t take long to be like, “Oh, this guy is such a grandstander.” We’re so used to it over here, where people take the opportunity to make a grand statement. And then the next day, my agent dropped me. And I was like, “Well, gee, it would have been nice to at least talk to you or something.” But I think he wanted to get in the news cycle too … It did feel like an overreaction. But that speaks more to my relationship with my agent. I’ve been around a long time, and I guess he was tired of me saying no to too many projects or something. He saw an opening.

Did the overall response surprise you?
Yeah, like, wait a minute, 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. 

It feels like such an impossible thing to describe, but what was being in the middle of all this like? 
It’s overwhelming. It’s like a tsunami of shit rolling over you. And then there’s the regret. Like, “Why would I do that?” I just didn’t put it together. And the ramifications were so huge. 

It’s been a pretty magical, cream dream thrill ride with Tenacious D. It’s something that I never really expected, and it’s been such a joy. In music, it’s hard to even get your stuff out there and for people to care. And just to work with Jack for all these years and watch him soar to new heights, it’s been really gratifying. But [laughs] it can all come tumbling down if you’re not really thinking straight.

When did you realize you had to issue an apology?
The day after. Like, OK, people are really disturbed and hurt by this, I have to apologize. It was hard to think straight, but I had some time to craft it. I did it myself. I ran it by the manager, and it seemed like I got what I wanted to say. And then that became a story.

I’m usually [just] recording Seventies covers on my Instagram. And so [the apology] was out for four or five days, and I thought, “It looks like a dead fish just laying there.” I really did apologize, but I took it down because it’s out there.

I saw it printed everywhere. I think that was definitely a misunderstanding. If I would have recanted, I would’ve said, “I’m taking this down because now on further reflection …” But no. It’s out there. And then, it’s like, should I put it back up? It just felt so wrong at that point. To have that be a separate news story was really disappointing.

I definitely thought about trying to get more in the public discussion of it. But it just seems like you’re not going to get a fair shake, and you don’t know how much good that’s gonna do. And I feel responsibility to Jack and the band — this is people’s livelihoods that I put [at risk]. It’s pretty heavy. 

Were you aware that Jack was also planning a statement of his own?
I assumed there would be.

Did he give you a heads up or share it with you ahead of time?
No, we were in our own camps at that point. Jack has an agent, manager, and publicist, all that stuff, and they were doing their thing. And I was over here trying to figure out the best thing to do.

“You never want to fan those flames or be snarky about it. And I touched the stove.”

What were you two in discussion about? 
We were discussing what we were going to do [with the band]. I think we were considering taking a show off and getting back out there. I thought I could apologize onstage, like, “Hey, I wasn’t thinking straight.” But at that point there were safety concerns. And once you get into that, it just doesn’t matter.

What kind of concerns?
They came in from every which way. Somebody called my mom. My poor 95-year-old mom. It hits close to home, and you want to be brave and courageous, but I’m not a congressman. We’re just entertainers. And it just bespeaks the insanity of the times. It feels almost vindictive. And it doesn’t seem right in terms of the big picture. It seemed like, “Oh, Jack’s a big target, and I’m the sidekick who screwed up.” It all felt pretty terrible. 

I remember coming out of a coffee shop, and then a crazy reporter was snapping pictures. I felt like, “What the hell is going on here? I’m in Burbank getting some coffee. Leave me alone!”

Was there anything else like that, people outside your home? 
No, not too, too bad. Well, actually, there was one guy that seemed like he was circling.

Another reporter? 
Or a stalker, or a killer. I don’t know. You just can’t tell. 

So you and Jack were on the same page when it came to canceling the Australian tour and the Rock the Vote shows. 
Oh sure. That was pretty easy.

On top of the safety concerns, were you worried that your presence at the Rock the Vote gigs would also be a distraction from the point of those shows?
Yeah, and that was another regret. We were looking forward to that, and wanted to do our duty as citizens. But I felt bad because it didn’t seem like we had any kind of moral high ground at that point. I  fucked that up too. [Laughing, then mock wailing] Oh God, why are you taking me back there! Why?! Are you gonna do me dirty?

I’m just gonna print what you say!
Oh, no — that’s terrible! [Laughs]. No, I mean, Jack and I are all good. At the end of the day, we’re friends. I’ve known Jack since he was 18, and it’s been such a long marriage, really. You go up and down, and we’ve always taken long breaks. He’s had a lot of stuff to do, and I’ve got my other projects. So it doesn’t even feel that different now. 

His statement did get some criticism from people who felt like he was maybe hanging you out to dry. Did that surprise you? 
No, not really [laughs]. I might have deserved it. Or, he had to protect himself from his loose-cannon partner over here. I totally understood once safety concerns got in. I might have tried to finish the tour, and I think sometimes these things can blow over, but at the time, it’s hard when the tsunami of shit is coming at you.

There has always been this fame imbalance within Tenacious D, and this situation highlighted that. How have you and Jack navigated that dynamic over the years, and what was challenging about it in this moment? 
A “fame imbalance” seems weird. First and foremost, we’ve been friends and shared so much over the years, and I think people want to put that on you. But I’m a fan of Jack. It’s been great to see him ascend from when we were just a couple of schmoes in Hollywood. He’s the engine behind the D, too. You can’t really separate that. I don’t begrudge him at all, and I’m just happy to be there. My glass is seven-eighths full, and it’s allowed me to live my best life. I was a delivery driver and a security [guard]. 

It was hard at first, though. When the D started to take off, it was really a dream come true. And then people were like, “Oh that must be really hard for you because Jack’s so famous!” Well, not really. It’s cool. And then it’s good for the goose, good for the gander. Part of the reason why the D’s been so great is because of Jack and his popularity. 

Did you and Jack touch base after the dust had settled?
Oh, for sure. 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.

What can you say about the future of Tenacious D?
We will serve no D-wine before it’s D-time — but we will be back. We will return.