Tenacious D have canceled the remaining dates on their tour of Australia and New Zealand after the duoâs Kyle Gass joked about the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump. âI was blindsided by what was said at the show on Sunday,â Gassâ bandmate, Jack Black, wrote in a statement. âI would never condone hate speech or encourage political violence in any form.â
Black continued, âAfter much reflection, I no longer feel it is appropriate to continue the Tenacious D tour, and all future creative plans are on hold. I am grateful to the fans for their support and understanding.â
At a recent show, in Sydney, Australia, Black led the crowd in singing âHappy Birthdayâ to Gass, and encouraged his bandmate to blow out his birthday cake candles and make a wish. âDonât miss Trump next time,â Gass wished, referring to 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooksâ attempt to shoot the former president at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania. (An event attendee, Corey Comperatore, was killed by Crooks, and two other men were severely injured.)
In his own statement, Gass wrote: âThe line I improvised onstage Sunday night in Sydney was highly inappropriate, dangerous and a terrible mistake. I donât condone violence of any kind, in any form, against anyone. What happened was a tragedy, and Iâm incredibly sorry for my severe lack of judgement. I profoundly apologize to those Iâve let down and truly regret any pain Iâve caused.â
Jack Black and Kyle Gass are outspoken Trump critics, and the band had recently announced a string of Midwest concerts to support the nonprofit Rock the Vote.
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