Kyle Gass addresses controversial joke on Trump shooting: 'It was terrible'

A year and a half later, Tenacious D's Kyle Gass is looking back with regret on his joke about the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.

In an interview published Jan. 21, Gass, who performs with Jack Black in the comedy rock band Tenacious D, told Rolling Stone he feels "terrible" about his controversial Trump comments from July 2024.

During a Tenacious D live show in Australia that summer, Black sang happy birthday to Gass and asked him to make a wish. "Don't miss Trump next time," Gass said, referencing that a man had recently taken a shot at Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania while Trump was campaigning for a second term.

"It was terrible," Gass told Rolling Stone. "It was terrible judgment, obviously. I've felt terrible ever since, because it's such a responsibility to not screw up like that."

The "Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny" star also described the episode as a "very low moment" for him and recalled thinking on the flight after the show, "What have I done?"

Gass' comment sparked outrage at the time, and the fallout was swift. Black released a statement saying he was "blindsided" by Gass' remark because he would "never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form." The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" actor also said he would end Tenacious D's tour and pause plans to continue working with Gass.

"After much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold," Black said in his 2024 statement. "I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding."

Gass, who was also dropped by his agent during the controversy, released an apology in July 2024 saying that the "line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake."

He added, "I don't condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and I'm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement."

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Gass said he "totally understood" why Black distanced himself from him in 2024, noting that they are "all good" and still "friends" now after they "hashed it out." He also said he was "trying to be a little outrageous" but didn't fully process the serious nature of the Trump assassination attempt while he was out of the United States.

"I didn't feel like I was in touch with it," he told Rolling Stone. "If I was over there, I think I would have gotten more the gravity of an assassination attempt."

"I was going for a joke. But timing is everything," he also said. "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."

But Gass promised the scandal won't spell the end for Tenacious D, vowing, "We will be back."

Black previously made a similar promise not long after the original scandal. Speaking to Variety at the premiere of "Borderlands" in 2024, Black said, "We need to take a break. Everybody needs a break sometime. And we'll be back." He also said of his relationship with Gass, "Yeah, we're friends. That hasn't changed. These things take time sometimes. ... And we'll be back when it feels right."