Gene Simmons says Trump’s 'terrific' Oval Office outshines the 'drab' eras of Clinton and Bush
Gene Simmons of Kiss compared the decor of the Trump Oval Office to how previous presidential administrations decided to design the historic White House room. pic.twitter.com/b3nJNJ7yOg
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) December 8, 2025
WASHINGTON, DC: Rock legend Gene Simmons, during the recent Kennedy Center Honors, praised the redesigned Oval Office under President Donald Trump, describing it as “terrific.”
He remarked that the space has undergone a significant transformation, shifting from what he considered a dull and uninspiring environment during the previous administration.
Gene Simmons praises Trump’s redesigned Oval Office
In a brief interview ahead of the program, Gene Simmons was asked about being honored by the president and his thoughts on Trump’s Oval Office. “It doesn’t suck,” Simmons said on Saturday night
He compared Trump’s Oval Office to that of former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush, saying Trump’s is “terrific.”
“It used to be a drab. I’ve been here through Mr Clinton and Mr Bush, and it used to be a pretty drab place. It’s coming alive. I think it’s great,” Simmons told Breitbart News.
Paul Stanley calls White House moment 'surreal'
The outlet also asked Gene Simmons’ bandmates, Paul Stanley and Peter Criss, for their thoughts on being honored by the president.
“It’s an incredible honor. It’s surreal, and as a kid who grew up with nothing, the idea of being in the White House, the Oval Office, receiving accolades from the president, that’s beyond anything that I could have ever fathomed,” Stanley said on the red carpet.
“And that’s what makes America great, is the fact that we can all achieve whatever we set out to do with hard work. Hard work makes anything possible. You know, achieving something is determined by how hard you’re willing to work for it, and that’s what gives it its value. So I’m humbled and grateful and blessed to share it with my wife,” he added.
Peter Criss describes emotional Oval Office experience
Peter Criss reflected on his experience inside the Oval Office, describing the moment as surreal.
“You could feel the vibes in the room. I was like, looking at the desk, going, ‘Well, that’s where Roosevelt sat during the war. That’s where Lincoln sat. That’s where JFK sat.’ I was a big JFK kid, and it was a high,” he added.
“When you see it in motion pictures, they always make it, you think it’s going to be this ginormous room. It’s tiny. It’s a really little room, but the history that went on there, the paintings of Lincoln and Washington on the wall, and it was dynamite. It was really cool,” said Criss.
“A kid from Brooklyn, I never thought I’d be in the Oval Office sitting with the president of the United States,” he added. “So it’s been wonderful.”