Kyle Gass Reflects on His Conversation with Jack Black After Controversial Trump Joke: “It Was Challenging”

Kyle Gass and Jack Black in Los Angeles in March 2024.

Credit : Araya Doheny/WireImage

NEED TO KNOW

• After Donald Trump was injured in a shooting at a July 2024 campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Kyle Gass joked about the moment during a Tenacious D concert.
• Bandmate Jack Black then quickly announced the cancellation of their remaining tour dates, expressing that he felt “blindsided” by Gass’ comment.
• Gass is now reflecting on the joke in an interview with Rolling Stone.

Kyle Gass is reflecting on a controversial onstage joke he made regarding Donald Trump following an attempted assassination.

After the U.S. president was injured in a shooting at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024, Gass joked during a concert in Australia that his 64th birthday wish would be “don’t miss Trump next time.” This statement prompted fellow Tenacious D member Jack Black to quickly announce the cancellation of their remaining tour dates, stating he felt “blindsided” by the comment.

In the wake of the incident, Gass apologized, labeling his joke as a “highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake.” He has since elaborated on the moment during an interview with Rolling Stone, revealing plans for Tenacious D to return to the stage in the future.

Kyle Gass and Jack Black in Charlotte in September 2023.

Jeff Hahne/Getty

Reflecting on the incident, Gass noted that being in Australia left him feeling disconnected from U.S. current events. “I didn’t feel like I was in touch with it,” he stated. “If I was over there, I think I would have gotten more the gravity of an assassination attempt.”

Commenting on Black’s initial reaction, which some perceived as throwing his bandmate under the bus, Gass explained that Black was “doing what he felt he had to do.” He added, “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.”

At the time of his comment, Gass acknowledged his lack of awareness regarding its weight. “I was naïve, of course — people are gonna pick that up,” he said. “Five one-syllable words that brought down the empire.”

He admitted to struggling with accountability, calling it a “f—-up” and noting the overwhelming nature of the situation. “It’s just this thing flooding and coming at you. We had to take the break. And I got it,” said Gass.

Kyle Gass and Jack Black in Atlanta in May 2023.

Scott Legato/Getty

As Gass reflected on Black’s successful career, he remarked, “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.”

Eventually, the pair resolved their differences. “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,” Gass explained.

Days after publicly expressing his apology, Gass deleted it, which drew additional reactions. He later clarified to Rolling Stone that his initial sentiment was genuine.

Kyle Gass and Jack Black in San Diego in June 2022.

 Daniel Knighton/Getty

Reflecting on the fallout, Gass said, “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. To have that be a separate news story was really disappointing.” He confirmed that the decision to cancel Tenacious D’s shows was mutual. “That was pretty easy,” he stated.

Looking ahead, Gass assured fans, “We will serve no D-wine before it’s D-time — but we will be back. We will return.”