GENE SIMMONS Says He Has DONALD TRUMP's And ELON MUSK's Phone Numbers In His Contact List: 'I'm Kind Of A Big Deal'

In a recent interview with the Hollywood Raw podcast, hosted by entertainment news veteran Dax Holt and New York City photojournalist Adam Glyn, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked to name the "most famous person" in his contact list on his phone. Gene responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Maybe not the most famous person, although he could be, but certainly the most impressive person. I've got Elon's [Musk, the CEO and largest shareholder of Tesla and SpaceX] number… I've got the [U.S.] president's [Donald Trump] number and stuff. As a matter of fact, [Trump] sends me, through his assistant, weekly or bi-weekly sort of texts about what's going on… I'm certain I'm not the only one. I'm sure I'm just a name in the list."

Simmons added: "I'm a lucky guy. I get a chance to rub elbows with people who are extraordinary, really impressive people who don't take life for granted."

Without offering his personal opinion of Trump, Simmons went on to say about the current U.S. president: " The president was duly elected by more than half the country — in fact, millions of more people elected President Trump… No matter what you think of the person who's actually got the title, I respect the presidency. Because it's the will of the people. So you may not be a fan of the person who holds the title right now, but of the people, for the people, by the people. You'll get a chance to voice your opinion."

Last month, Simmons told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, "the most impressive people to me are [American investor and philanthropist Warren] Buffett and Elon Musk and [Jeff] Bezos [American entrepreneur and investor who founded Amazon in 1994]. Elon's worth — I don't know — about a trillion and a half, something like that. What does he do every day? He gets up. He's planning, he's doing. He's planning, for goodness sakes, cities on Mars while the rest of us are complaining about the traffic jam. We're doing nothing. These are people who have higher intellect and a grander vision of life, that you can do big things."

Simmons, who appeared with Trump on the first season of "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2008, previously called Trump "good for the political system" in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone.

"He is the truest political animal I've ever seen onstage," Simmons said at the time. "He has no speechwriters, no editing, no nothing. He's actually on tape going 'motherfucker.' You cannot turn away.… He has said some very vile, unkind things. But don't kid yourself. He speaks off the cuff, and what you see is what you get. And he'll double down."

Added Simmons: "He's not there to be your friend…. He's good for the political system."

Gene later offered a different assessment of Trump, telling Spin magazine in May 2022 about the president's first term: "I knew him before he entered politics. Look what that gentleman did to this country and the polarization — got all the cockroaches to rise to the top. Once upon a time, you were embarrassed to be publicly racist and out there with conspiracy theories. Now it's all out in the open because he allowed it."

Referencing his appearance on "The Apprentice", Simmons told the magazine being president is a very different job than hosting a game show. "You have a different responsibility when you're just a citizen or an entrepreneur. You don't make policy," he said. "It doesn't affect life and death. When you get into a position of power, it does affect lives. I don't think he's a Republican or a Democrat. He's out for himself, any way you can get there. And in the last election, over 70 million people bought it hook, line and sinker."

More recently, Simmons expressed his gratitude to Trump when the president selected KISS as a recipient for a Kennedy Center Honor in 2025.

"KISS is the embodiment of the American dream. We are deeply honored to receive the Kennedy Center Honor," Simmons said.