KISS bassist Gene Simmons offered high praise for President Donald Trump’s Oval Office during a red-carpet interview at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday. Simmons, whose band KISS was among the honorees, spoke briefly with Breitbart News ahead of the main program. When asked about receiving the honor from the president and his thoughts on the newly-styled Oval Office—now featuring numerous presidential portraits and gold trimming—Simmons was unequivocally positive.
‘It’s Coming Alive’
He first commented on the honor itself, saying of KISS being presented with their Kennedy Center honoree medals on Saturday night, “It doesn’t suck.” He then directly compared Trump’s Oval Office to earlier versions under former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Simmons deemed the current iteration “terrific.” “It used to be a drab,” he explained to Breitbart News. “I’ve been here through Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush, and it used to be a pretty drab place. It’s coming alive. I think it’s great.”
Bandmates Share Awe and Gratitude
Breitbart News also sought comments from Simmons’ bandmates, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, regarding the White House honor. Paul Stanley described the experience as an “incredible honor” and “surreal.” The rock star reflected on his humble beginnings, stating, “as a kid who grew up with nothing, the idea of being in the White House, the Oval Office, receiving accolades from the president, that’s beyond anything that I could have ever fathomed.” Stanley championed the American Dream, adding that achieving success “is determined by how hard you’re willing to work for it.”
Peter Criss called the experience “history.” He shared his awe at the historical significance of the room, recalling his thoughts while there: “I was like, looking at the desk, going, ‘Well, that’s where Roosevelt sat during the war. That’s where Lincoln sat. That’s where JFK [sat].’” Criss, a self-proclaimed “big JFK kid,” noted the “high” of the visit. He added that the room, which he initially imagined as “ginormous” from movies, was surprisingly small. “It’s a really little room,” he said, “but the history that went on there, the paintings of Lincoln and Washington on the wall, and it was dynamite. It was really cool.” Like Stanley, Criss expressed disbelief: “A kid from Brooklyn, I never thought I’d be in the Oval Office sitting with the president of the United States.”
A Moment of Silence
Ace Frehley, the fourth original member of KISS who sadly passed away in October, was also remembered during the program with a moment of silence.