Rock legend Gene Simmons says that tens of millions of Americans—perhaps as many as 100 million people—secretly support GOP frontrunner Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall on the country’s southern border.
During a brief interview with Rolling Stone that was published on Wednesday Mar. 30, the Kiss frontman opened up about Trump, who he hailed as “the truest political animal I’ve ever seen onstage.”
“He has no speechwriters, no editing, no nothing. He’s actually on tape going ‘motherf—ker.’ You cannot turn away,” Simmons, 66, told the publication.
The Israeli-born rocker and entrepreneur, who clarified he does not necessarily support Trump’s White House bid, said the billionaire real estate developer “has said some very vile, unkind things,” but praised him for speaking “off the cuff.”
“And he’ll double down. If you ask him about building a wall he’ll say, ‘F—k you, I’m going to make it 10 feet higher, just because you asked me’ … He’s not there to be your friend,” said Simmons. He added:
The middle, the centrists, they can say, ‘What do you think of this?’ because everybody is sick and tired of being politically correct. Secretly, tens of millions, perhaps 100 million people may actually have some positive feelings about a wall.
… Macedonia is building a wall between Greece and Macedonia.
…There’s a wall between Israel and a neighboring country. There was a Berlin Wall. There was the Great Wall of China. So whether they’re good or bad for people, walls actually work … It’s unkind, but in terms of pragmatics, it actually works.
Referencing the massive, 40-foot high walls surrounding the Vatican, the rocker said, “The Pope has said the wall is unkind, but it’s interesting that at the Vatican there’s a wall. They don’t want people on the outside coming into the Vatican.”
Pope Francis described Trump’s border wall as “not Christian” earlier this year.
Simmons concluded he thinks Trump is “good for the political system.”
“Trump is not a politician. He does not need your money, and he will speak his mind, God damn it, whether you like it or not. And he has no problem saying ‘F—k off,’” he said.
“I like that,” he added, “even if I disagree.”