Has Tenacious D‘s Kyle Gass backflipped over his Donald Trump apology? The guitarist has now deleted the original apology post from his social accounts, after backlash from the whole clusterfuck derailed the duo’s Australian tour and put their entire creative future in jeopardy.
If you need a quick re-cap, K-G set the internet on fire with a five-word joke he improvised live onstage during the comedy-rock act’s Sydney show las weekend: “Don’t miss Trump next time”.
“Jack Black broke up Tenacious D and cut ties with Kyle Gass over a joke”
He made the quip about the recent attempted assassination of Donald Trump, after frontman of The D, Jack Black, presented him with a cake in honour his 64th birthday and asked him to make a wish.
While the wisecrack sparked giggles and cheers from the crowd, it swiftly kicked up a shitstorm after the footage was posted online.
In response to the internet’s wrath, Black seemingly turned on his bandmate, cancelling all of Tenacious D’s remaining tour dates in Australia and New Zealand, and sparking rumours it could even be the end of the band.
“I was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,” Black posted on Instagram. “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”.
K-G also since apologised publicly for the joke, posting: “The line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I don’t condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone.”
He continued: “What happened was a tragedy, and I’m incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those I’ve let down and truly regret any pain I’ve caused.”
The incident divided fans and political commentators alike. Some, like Australian journalist Simon Collins, were quick to point out the hypocrisy of so-called “free speech warriors”, who routinely defend the rights of far-right scum-lords like Andrew Tate, to suddenly be clutching their pearls at a joke about Trump, while fans on Reddit have pointed out that Trump himself has previously suggested in all seriousness that multiple people including a former Oval office staffer who leaked a story to the press a one of America’s top generals deserve to be put to death.
Elsewhere, D fans have dubbed Black an “absolute coward” for throwing his friend and bandmate “under the bus”.
“You’re upset at Jack Black because of what Kyle Gass said. I’m upset at Jack Black for turning his back on a 30 year long partnership for the sake of keeping his celebrity status,” one user posted on X.
“Not Jack Black throwing Kyle Gass under the bus for making a joke about Trump. What an absolute coward,” another added.
Now, not only has Kage deleted his original apology post, he also apparently liked another post from a Tenacious D fan account encouraging fans to sign a petition to “bring back the D”.
Further Reading
Tenacious D Cancel Remainder Of Australian Tour Following Donald Trump Joke Backlash
Jack Black Has Reunited With ‘School Of Rock’ Cast At Tenacious D Gigs
Finally, Tenacious D Reveal The Song That Inspired ‘Tribute’
