Kiss bassist and vocalist Gene Simmons used a solo-band set at Milwaukee’s Summerfest on Friday, July 3, the eve of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, to deliver a lengthy, unfiltered speech about patriotism, immigration and military veterans that has since drawn plenty of reaction.
Before his band launched into the Kiss classic “Let Me Go, Rock ‘N’ Roll“, Simmons turned to the crowd to make his case for the country he now calls home.
“ In case you don’t know it, you are blessed. You are living in the greatest f**king country on the planet. And that’s called USA,” he told the audience. “Okay, I wanna tell you why I took a minute to talk about America, because if you’ve been asleep the last 250 years, tomorrow is America’s 250th birthday.”
He then pivoted to immigration, framing the country’s appeal through the lens of those who enter it unlawfully:
“This is the greatest country. That’s why we’ve had anywhere from 20 million to 30 million illegal immigrants. Why? ‘Cause they are willing to break the law and come into the greatest country on the face of the planet, right here. We have more illegal immigrants than most countries have populations on the face of the planet. That’s a fact.”
Simmons, who was born in Israel and moved to the United States as a child before becoming a naturalized citizen, drew a sharp line between his own path and unlawful entry:
“I myself am an immigrant, but a legal one. I came through the lawful way. You wait in line, you respect the country, you respect its laws, and then you become a citizen of the United States of America. And in return, you get police who risk their lives to protect you. And you get first responders who are here for you. And if your house is on fire, you get fire departments that risk their lives to come put that fire out for you. You get a school system that’s yours, and everything is free. Cops, fire department, school — free. All you gotta do is follow the law and do it legally, okay?”
It’s worth noting for context that his “20 million to 30 million” figure sits above mainstream estimates; research bodies such as the Pew Research Center have generally placed the U.S. unauthorized-immigrant population well below that range in recent years.
The 76-year-old also shared that he’d been tapped for an official role in the nation’s semiquincentennial festivities in Washington, D.C.:
“I’m honored to say I’ve gotta get up at 3:30 this morning to catch a 5:00 a.m. flight because I’ve been asked by the White House to narrate the World War II Veterans honors in America’s 250th birthday tomorrow in Washington, D.C. And unless you guys think Fourth of July is just fireworks and all that, without our veterans, there would be nothing. There would be no America. There would be nothing. Politicians talk the talk but veterans put their lives out there. All gave some, some gave all. Don’t forget. So the next time you’re going to a Starbucks and you see somebody in uniform, step aside and make way for a real hero. That’s the least you can do.”
He wrapped the speech with the blunt line that has since made the rounds online: “And if you don’t like America, please go back to where you f**king came from.”
Simmons delivered on the D.C. commitment the next day, narrating a ceremony honoring World War II veterans as part of the July 4 celebrations. The bassist has been vocal about his political views before — though, notably, he said as recently as March that he isn’t a fan of celebrities weighing in on politics, a stance he has acknowledged not always following himself.
