KISS legend Gene Simmons says his relationship with President Donald Trump is “great” as he criticizes Americans for caring too much about each other’s political beliefs.
“I really don’t care what people say,” Simmons said in an interview with CNN’s Manu Raju that aired Sunday. “Life has always been like this.”
“Not everyone loves Jesus, but you can certainly say that: He is the duly elected president of the United States, perhaps overwhelmingly by the popular vote and the Electoral College. End of story,” he continued.
Simmons went on to say, “It doesn’t matter who you support.”
“Now, people ask, are you a supporter or a supporter – my first question is ‘Who the hell are you? Who are you?'” Simmons said. “Since when has it been anyone’s business but my conscience that who I support and who I don’t support?”
Asked to assess the MAGA movement within the Republican Party, Simmons said “some of it makes sense and some of it doesn’t.”
“But literally, have a sense of humor,” he added. “Take a pill, shut up, and stop worrying about what your neighbors believe or don’t believe. This is their America, too.”
Simmons, who received a Kennedy Center Honor for KISS earlier this month, joined CNN on Capitol Hill to work on the passage of the American Music Fairness Act. The bill, introduced in the House of Representatives in January, would require broadcasters to pay royalties to artists whose music is played on AM/FM radio.
Simmons and music executives recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee in support of the legislation. In February, hundreds of music industry figures, including Stevie Nicks, Celine Dion and Aerosmith, called on Congress in a letter to pass the bipartisan measure to address what they said were “inequality” that harms artists in the United States and abroad.
“If you oppose this bill, you are not an American,” Simmons said during his testimony.
In an interview with CNN, Simmons directly addressed criticism of the bill.
“Radio made about $14 billion last year,” he said in comments recorded on Dec. 9. “The artists you hear on radio made zero. Your favorite artists, both classics and new artists, made zero. That’s inexcusable.”
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