Gene Simmons says Trump’s 'terrific' Oval Office outshines the 'drab' eras of Clinton and Bush

Gene Simmons said Donald Trump’s Oval Office is 'terrific,' calling it a big improvement over the 'drab' offices of Bill Clinton and George W Bush
UPDATED DEC 9, 2025
Gene Simmons praised President Donald Trump’s redesigned Oval Office as 'terrific,' saying it has been transformed from a dull, uninspiring space to actually coming alive (Getty Images)
Gene Simmons praised President Donald Trump’s redesigned Oval Office as 'terrific,' saying it has been transformed from a dull, uninspiring space to actually coming alive (Getty Images)


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

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 21: Gene Simmons attends The HISTORY Channel HISTORYTalks at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on September 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)
Gene Simmons attends The HISTORY Channel HISTORYTalks at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on September 21, 2024 in Los Angeles, California (Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)

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.

President Donald Trump (L) presents musician Paul Stanley (R) of the rock band KISS a medal for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees during a medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 2025 Kennedy Center honorees are Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, the rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump presents musician Paul Stanley of the rock band KISS a medal for the 2025 Kennedy Center Honorees during a medal presentation in the Oval Office of the White House on December 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. The 2025 Kennedy Center honorees are Sylvester Stallone, George Strait, the rock band KISS, Gloria Gaynor, and Michael Crawford (Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images)

“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.

Peter Criss: A kid from Brooklyn, I never thought I’d be in the Oval Office sitting with the president of the United States (Screengrab: Breitbart News/YouTube)
Peter Criss describes his Oval Office visit as surreal, emotional, and full of history (Screengrab/Breitbart News/YouTube)

“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.”

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