Gene Simmons, vocalist and bassist of the rock band KISS, spoke on Sunday of his thoughts on former President Donald Trump and shared that he is an "ageist" when it comes to President Joe Biden.
In the latest episode of Bill Maher's Club Random podcast, Simmons, 73, shared that he knew Trump long before he became president, as Simmons was a contestant on Trump's NBC show, The Celebrity Apprentice in 2008.
"For the record, when [Trump] first ran in 2016 and got elected, I was happy," Simmons divulged. "I knew the guy from before then, seeing him in clubs and stuff like that ... He's not a politician. But my point, I wanna say for the record, and people will tell you who know me, 'Oh, yeah, Gene was happy that Trump won.' I was. I didn't want Hillary [Clinton]. I thought, 'Oh, a businessman is coming in. He understands how to run things.'"
"The person that I saw first coming into power is not the person I saw within a year or two of that ... But I changed the way lots of people changed," Simmons added.
He continued to discuss Trump later in the podcast, claiming that Trump was responsible for today's politically polarized climate.
"Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization—got all the cockroaches to rise to the top," Simmons said. "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."
"I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat. 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," Simmons added.
While on the podcast, Simmons also discussed Biden, stating that he had reservations about the president's ability to lead due to his age. Biden celebrated his 80th birthday last week.
"I thought Biden was gonna come in and be a major force," Simmons told Maher. "I've got some big reservations about the man—not about his ethics and morality, but just about his physical ability to do all that."
In response, Maher said, "I would think you, of all people, being 73, wouldn't want to be an ageist like that."
"I am an ageist, depending on the vibrancy and the mental alertness of what you've got. At a certain age, you can't look at a person and not say, 'OK, you're X number of years old, now how sharp are you?' You're talking about the most powerful person on the planet," Simmons said. "I'm not talking about policy. Communication skills are flat. There is such a thing as the cult of personality. And I like the man, but the ability to communicate a message is nil."
The rock icon added that he doesn't think Biden should run for a second term in 2024.
Newsweek has reached out to a representative of Simmons for additional comment.
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Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
