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KISS frontman Gene Simmons downplayed politics during an interview with CNN on Sunday, and urged Americans to stop worrying about their neighbors’ political beliefs.
“It’s nobody’s business who you support,” Simmons told Manu Raju on CNN’s “Inside Politics.” “Nowadays, people engage in, ‘So are you pro or,’ and my first question is, ‘Who the f— are you? Who are you?’ Since when does who I support or not support is the business of anyone except my conscience?”
Raju then asked Simmons about the Make America Great Again (MAGA) wing of the Republican Party.
“Some of it makes sense and some not,” Simmons replied, questioning why anyone cared about his political views. “But literally, have a sense of humor. Take a pill, shut up and stop worrying what your next-door neighbor believes or doesn’t believe. It’s their America too.”
SYLVESTER STALLONE, GEORGE STRAIT LEAD TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER HONORS RED CARPET
Musician Gene Simmons, a founding member of the rock band KISS, is seen on Capitol Hill on Dec. 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Simmons also said he spoke with President Donald Trump after receiving a Kennedy Center Honor earlier this year.
“Had some face time with Senator Tillis and Blackburn and met Mr. Schiff and so on. But the telling moment was after we all got our Kennedy Center awards, as I had some face time alone with the president,” he said.
“And I actually met the president and on and off for years and years, decades before he entered politics. And the conversation was what human beings do. How‘s the family? How are the kids? And, you know, all that stuff. It‘s not always about politics,” Simmons continued.
Gene Simmons, Peter Criss and Paul Stanley of KISS attend the 48th Kennedy Center Honors at The Kennedy Center on Dec. 7, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi)
Simmons was on Capitol Hill this month to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of the American Music Fairness Act.
In what could mark a major shake-up for the music industry, the legislation would require AM and FM radio stations to pay recording artists and performers when they broadcast their songs, ending a decades-old exemption in U.S. copyright law. The bipartisan bill would align traditional radio with digital and streaming platforms that already pay artists royalties, while offering low, flat fees to protect small local stations.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., introduced this version of the bill in January, while Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Alex Padilla, D-Calif., brought forth the legislation in the Senate this year.
More than a dozen conservative groups urged House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to support the bill.
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Sylvester Stallone, right, shows Gene Simmons, center, and Paul Stanley, left, members of the band KISS, his Kennedy Center Honors medal, in the Oval Office of the White House, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)
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Fox News’ Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report.
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