Iconic KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons recently commented on former U.S. president Donald Trump, saying he allowed people to be publicly racist.
Speaking in a new interview with SPIN, Gene said: “I know the previous [U.S.] president. I knew him before he entered politics. Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top. Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it’s all out in the open because he allowed it.”
Gene also said that he and Trump “knew each other” before “The Celebrity Apprentice“, “in clubs and all that. You have a different responsibility when you’re just a citizen or an entrepreneur,” he added. “You don’t make policy. It doesn’t affect life and death. When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives.
“I don’t think he’s a Republican or a Democrat,” Gene said of the former president. “He’s out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker.
“The current president [Joe Biden], I like the ethics and morality — not a charismatic guy, unfortunately. The first word I keep hearing from people, even friends is ‘feeble.’ I don’t think he should run next time. So then who’s around? There are no stars and invariably people vote for stars, not even what they believe in. The cult of personality. Americans are star obsessed: ‘Kylie’s got a new lip gloss? Fuck!'”
Back in 2017, Simmons confirmed that KISS was invited to perform at Donald Trump‘s inauguration but turned it down because the band felt it was “not a good idea.”