Jack Black’s band Tenacious D has cancelled its upcoming gig after United Australia Senator Ralph Babet demanded the band be deported from Australia over an “evil” joke band member Kyle Gass made about the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump.
Gass made the controversial comment during a concert in Sydney on Sunday night which coincided with his 64th birthday.
After a cake was brought out for the musician as Black sang ‘Happy Birthday’, Gass was asked to make a wish when he jokingly replied “Don’t miss Trump next time” to shocked laughter and applause.
The rockstar’s comment appeared on a now deleted TikTok but has since been shared on X, formerly Twitter, to nearly 900,000 viewers.
Since the video’s circulation, Tenacious D has postponed Tuesday night’s Newcastle show hours before gates were set to open despite Black being seen in the city, according to The Daily Mail.
A message on the page for Tenacious D’s show reads: “Frontier Touring regret to advise that Tenacious D’s concert tonight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre has been postponed.
“Ticket holders are asked to hold onto their tickets until further information is available.”
The video of Gass making the joke was met with outrage from more than a thousand commenters including X-owner Elon Musk and Mr Babet who both described the comment as “evil”.
Mr Babet later put out an official statement demanding Tenacious D “be immediately removed from the country after wishing for the assassination of Donald Trump at their Sydney concert”.
“I condemn in the strongest possible way the call to political violence by Tenacious D in Sydney on Sunday,” he said.
“To advocate and or wish for the assassination of a President is egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape or form.”
The comment made by Gass was “not a joke” and is to be taken as a “deadly serious” wish for the “death” of the former president, Mr Babet argued.
“I call on the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese to join me in denouncing Tenacious D, Jack Black and band member Kyle Gass, and I call on the Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to revoke their visas and deport them immediately,” the senator said.
“Anything less than deportation is an endorsement of the shooting and attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump, the 45th and soon-to-be 47th President of the United States.”
The foul joke also drew the ire of shock jock Kyle Sandilands who declared the rock duo were “banned for life” from his and co-host Jackie-O’s morning show.
“Someone’s promoting the assassination of another human being? Seriously? Regardless of whether you like someone or not, wanting someone killed and promoting it is the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my life,” Sandilands said.
“That’s some serious, twisted s**t. And whoever that is, is banned for life. I never want to speak to him again. Would we speak to this person?”
Others shared their outrage at Gass’ comment on the X post.
“These people need to be completely ostracized for this vile crap!!” one commented.
Another wrote: “Wow pure evil”.
One added: “This crap is horrible. To actually cheer for this?”
Gass’ poorly received joke came after 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire at Trump when the former president was speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
While a bullet nicked Trump’s right ear, one bystander was killed and two were critically injured in the attack.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is now working to understand how and why the shooting occurred.
Trump today appeared at the 2024 Republican National Convention with a bandage covering his right ear.
The former president walked out onto the convention floor as Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” played in the background. He pumped his fist, gave thumbs up and clapped as he joined his family seated near the stage.
After thousands of delegates formally announced Trump as the Republican nominee for president, he announced his running mate as Ohio Senator J.D. Vance on social media, after weeks of anticipation.