Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have not offered one fixed KISS position on Donald Trump. Simmons praised Trump’s unscripted campaign style in 2016, later criticized the effects of his presidency, and more recently emphasized respecting Trump’s election and the office. Stanley criticized Trump’s election rhetoric and the January 6 attack, then called for understanding and unity after Trump won in 2024. The record below is a dated chronology of the major statements collected in recent reporting, not a complete archive of every comment either musician has made.
Gene Simmons: from campaign praise to criticism and institutional respect
March 2016: admiration for Trump’s political performance, not a declared endorsement
During the 2016 campaign, Simmons called Trump “the truest political animal I’ve ever seen onstage.” He described Trump as unusually compelling and unscripted and said, “He’s good for the political system.” Simmons also acknowledged that Trump had said “some very vile, unkind things.” The account of the exchange says Simmons stopped short of declaring that he supported Trump.
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2016–January 2017: no disclosed vote choice in the CNN interview
In a CNN interview conducted around the 2016 election, Simmons said he had not decided an important political point of view and did not say whether he voted for Trump when asked directly. He objected to treating celebrities as political authorities. That transcript is the clearest cited record that he did not publicly identify a vote in this period.
2017: respect for the result and refusal to play the inauguration
Simmons said Trump had been duly elected and that voters could use their conscience at the next election. He told The Daily Beast that KISS had been invited to perform at the inauguration but declined because, “In this polarizing era, it’s not a good idea.” He said he would nevertheless be happy to visit the White House and argued that celebrities should not be used as political “brownie points.”
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2019: approval of disruption and comments about the economy
A 2025 retrospective roundup reports that Simmons said Trump had changed politics and made favorable comments about economic conditions at the time. Those are Simmons’s reported assessments; they should not be read as independently verified economic findings or as proof of a settled partisan allegiance.
January 2021: rejection of election-rigging claims
The same roundup reports that Simmons posted that courts and judges, including judges appointed by Trump, had dismissed allegations that the 2020 election had been rigged. This is a report of Simmons’s post, not a replacement for the underlying court records.
August 2021: criticism of the administration’s pandemic-era record
The roundup also reports Simmons criticizing the prior administration’s pandemic-era record and saying the period had gone beyond what he had imagined possible.
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May 2022: direct criticism of polarization, racism and conspiracy theories
In comments attributed to a SPIN interview, Simmons said Trump’s presidency had intensified polarization and brought public racism and conspiracy theories into the open. He distinguished the responsibilities of a private citizen or entrepreneur from those of a person in political power, whose decisions affect other people’s lives. His most pointed line was, “Now it’s all out in the open because he allowed it.”
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In an interview with Andrew Gold, as reported by Blabbermouth, Simmons again said Trump had been duly elected and that people who dislike him should respect the office. The passage also discusses Simmons’s own political shift. It establishes respect for the electoral result and institution; it does not, by itself, state a new policy endorsement or disclose how he voted.
Paul Stanley: warnings about election conduct, then a call for unity
August 2020: opposing pre-emptive claims that an election would be rigged
Stanley called it “incendiary & abhorrent” for a candidate to say an election would be rigged if that candidate lost. He warned that such language dangerously suggested political opponents were enemies.
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September 2020: questioning whether Trump’s conduct was presidential
Stanley questioned whether Trump’s morning Twitter attacks were presidential. The cited post is framed as a question rather than a detailed statement of a separate policy position.
January 2021: condemnation of pressure on Georgia and the Capitol attack
The chronology attributes to Stanley a description of Trump’s reported request for votes from Georgia officials as “Mob Boss behavior.” After the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Stanley wrote, “These are TERRORISTS,” and described the event as an armed insurrection.
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After Trump won the 2024 election, Stanley urged supporters of the losing candidate to learn from the result, accept it and try to understand why it happened: “If your candidate lost, it’s time to learn from it, accept it and try to understand why.” He also told supporters of the winner to recognize that people with different political views can still believe they are right and love the country. The Associated Press summarized this post-election appeal while covering later KISS-related news.
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Side-by-side chronology
| Period | Gene Simmons | Paul Stanley |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 campaign | Praised Trump as a compelling, unscripted political figure, while acknowledging offensive remarks; no explicit endorsement. | No statement in the cited chronology. |
| 2016–17 transition | Did not disclose a vote in the cited CNN exchange; said Trump was duly elected. | No statement in the cited chronology. |
| 2017 inauguration | Confirmed KISS declined an invitation to perform because the period was too polarizing; separated respect for the office from celebrity political symbolism. | No statement in the cited chronology. |
| 2019 | Reportedly praised political disruption and made favorable comments about the economy of the period. | No statement in the cited chronology. |
| 2020–21 aftermath | Reportedly rejected election-rigging claims and criticized the administration’s pandemic-era record. | Opposed election-delegitimizing rhetoric, criticized pressure on Georgia officials, and called the January 6 attackers terrorists. |
| 2022 | Criticized polarization, public racism and conspiracy theories associated with Trump’s presidency. | No new statement in the cited chronology. |
| November 2024 onward | No cited Stanley-style unity appeal; in 2026 Simmons stressed respecting Trump’s election and office without a stated policy endorsement in the reported passage. | Urged the losing side to learn from the result and the winning side to recognize the patriotism of political opponents. |
What the record does—and does not—show
- Simmons’s comments changed over time: early admiration for Trump’s campaign persona exists alongside later criticism of the presidency’s social and political effects.
- In the cited 2016–17 material, Simmons separated respect for the presidency and election result from any disclosed personal vote. The available passages do not establish that he voted for Trump.
- Stanley’s cited statements strongly criticize Trump’s election-related conduct and the January 6 attack.
- Stanley’s 2024 message adds a call for civic understanding; it does not erase his earlier criticism.
- Respecting the office or accepting an election result is not the same as endorsing every policy or action of the officeholder.
Did KISS perform at Trump’s inauguration?
No. Simmons said KISS was invited but declined because performing during such a polarizing moment was not a good idea. He separately said he would be willing to visit the White House, so declining the performance was not presented as a refusal to acknowledge the institution.
How reliable is an “everything” roundup?
The detailed chronology comes chiefly from a 2025 focused roundup, which attributes several items to social posts and earlier interviews. CNN’s 2017 transcript is the strongest direct record for Simmons’s vote-related exchange. The Daily Beast reported the inauguration decision, while Blabbermouth reported the 2022 and 2026 Simmons interviews. The Associated Press supplied independent context for Stanley’s post-election appeal. Because the available material is a collected chronology rather than a complete archive, it is safest to describe each remark with its date and source instead of assigning either musician a permanent label such as “Trump supporter” or “Trump opponent.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gene Simmons a Trump supporter?
The cited record does not justify a permanent label. Simmons praised Trump’s campaign style in 2016, did not disclose a vote in the cited CNN interview, criticized aspects of the presidency in 2021–22, and later stressed respect for Trump’s election and office.
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What did Paul Stanley say about January 6?
Stanley called the attackers “TERRORISTS” and described the Capitol assault as an armed insurrection. The chronology also attributes to him criticism of pressure on Georgia officials.
Did Paul Stanley support Trump after the 2024 election?
His November 2024 message urged both sides to learn from the result and recognize that political opponents can love the country. It was an appeal for unity, not a stated endorsement of Trump’s policies.
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