KISS bassist Gene Simmons praises Trump’s Oval Office and compares it to past presidents‘ spaces.<\/b>
\nGene Simmons, bassist for one of the greatest rock bands of all time, KISS, gave President Donald Trump\u2019s Oval Office his seal of approval during an interview on the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors last weekend. Simmons has made a number of comments over the years suggesting he leans more than a tad to the right on political issues, unlike his former band\u2019s now-retired lead singer, Paul Stanley. Stanley has made it clear he\u2019s a Democrat with no love for Trump.
It\u2019s always struck me as strange when rock stars lean anywhere but conservative or libertarian, given the inherent rebellion of the music they create. Rock and roll \u2014 and its darker child, metal \u2014 has always been anti-establishment and driven by a do-it-yourself spirit. Why in the world would a musical culture built on individuality ever embrace the hive-mind mentality of modern progressive politics? Make it make sense.
Breitbart News spoke with Simmons just before the event began, asking what it meant to him to be honored by President Trump and what he thought of the Oval Office, now sporting numerous presidential portraits and a whole lot of that bling-bling gold.
In trademark rock-and-roll fashion, Simmons responded to being an honoree by saying, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t suck.\u201d One thing\u2019s for sure: you can\u2019t say Simmons doesn\u2019t speak the language of the common man. He then compared Trump\u2019s Oval Office to those of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, calling Trump\u2019s \u201cterrific.\u201d
\u201cIt used to be drab. I\u2019ve been here through Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush, and it used to be a pretty drab place. It\u2019s coming alive. I think it\u2019s great,\u201d Simmons told Breitbart.
Speaking of Paul Stanley, he was also honored at the event. He, too, was asked for his thoughts on being recognized by the president for his contribution to the arts. Surprisingly \u2014 given his left-wing bent \u2014 he had nothing but kind words.
\u201cIt\u2019s an incredible honor. It\u2019s surreal, and as a kid who grew up with nothing, the idea of being in the White House, the Oval Office, receiving accolades from the president \u2014 that\u2019s beyond anything I could have ever fathomed,\u201d Stanley said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what makes America great: the fact that we can all achieve whatever we set out to do with hard work. Hard work makes anything possible. Achieving something is determined by how hard you\u2019re willing to work for it, and that\u2019s what gives it its value. So I\u2019m humbled and grateful and blessed to share it with my wife.\u201d
Those are shockingly good words. Stanley himself is proof that if you\u2019re willing to put in the work and make a few savvy marketing moves, you can not only build a successful career but also make meaningful contributions to culture. Is luck involved? Always. But mostly, it\u2019s about pouring yourself out until you\u2019re dry as a bone to achieve your dreams and goals.
KISS drummer Peter Criss was also honored. When asked for his thoughts on the Oval Office, he said, \u201cYou could feel the vibes in the room. I was looking at the desk, going, \u2018Well, that\u2019s where Roosevelt sat during the war. That\u2019s where Lincoln sat. That\u2019s where JFK sat.\u2019 I was a big JFK kid, and it was a high. When you see it in motion pictures, they always make it look ginormous. It\u2019s tiny. It\u2019s a really little room, but the history that went on there \u2014 the paintings of Lincoln and Washington on the wall \u2014 it was dynamite. It was really cool.\u201d
\u201cA kid from Brooklyn \u2014 I never thought I\u2019d be in the Oval Office sitting with the president of the United States,\u201d Criss added. \u201cSo it\u2019s been wonderful.\u201d
Ace Frehley, original KISS lead guitarist, died in October, but was honored with a moment of silence during the event.<\/p>\n