Jack Black Delivers Viral Speech at President Biden’s Star-Studded Fundraiser in “Kick-A** American Flag Overalls”

Chris Gardner
·2-min read

“How incredible is that years from now we’ll be able to tell our grandchildren that we saw two presidents of the United States on the same stage as Kung Fu Panda?”

So said Jimmy Kimmel while standing on the Peacock Theater stage on Saturday night during a star-studded fundraiser for President Joe Biden that featured the late night host moderating a chat with Biden and former President Barack Obama. The event, which raised north of $30 million, featured A-list headliners Kimmel, George Clooney and Julia Roberts on a program that also featured first lady Jill Biden, longtime Democratic supporters Barbra Streisand, Jason Bateman and Kathryn Hahn, and performances by the likes of Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph.

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Even with all that talent on the same stage, Jack Black, whom Kimmel credited for his longtime leading voice role as Kung Fu Panda, received a lion’s share of attention thanks to enthusiastic comments and a colorful ensemble. The veteran comedy star appeared in what he called his “kick-ass American flag overalls,” paired with a “Dark Brandon” T-shirt. A clip of his appearance went viral after being shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the official Biden-Harris HQ campaign account on Sunday morning. (The account also shared a link to buy the T-shirt — “best worn while vanquishing malarkey” — for $32.)

During the clip, Black jokes that he turned down offers to appear at everything from a bat mitzvah to a Jack in the Box opening in Oxnard to help stump for the president alongside Clooney and Roberts. “And when the president wins in November — yeah! — I’m pretty sure I’m going to get a sweet shout-out in his victory speech for what I gave up to be here,” he said. “Because when democracy is at stake, Jack Black answers the call. Mr. President, you’re welcome.”

See the video shared by the official Biden-Harris account as well as Black’s comments from the clip in full below.

“A few days ago, my manager called me and said George Clooney and Julia Roberts wanted me to help out the president, and speak here tonight, and I said, ‘I am in. When and where?’ And then they said, ‘Jack, we know how busy you are. You don’t have time. Look at all the other events that are happening tonight that you already turned down: emcee at the Fliegelman bat mitzvah, the opening of the new Jack in the Box in Oxnard, judge at the second annual Imperial Valley Avocado Festival.’ You don’t see that on Meryl Streep’s résumé. I said, ‘I know I turned them down, but my president needs me.’ [Audience cheers.] Thank you. And then they hit me with the big one. They said, ‘Jack, you can’t go. You have nothing to wear. Your good suit is in the cleaners.’ Well, were they wrong? Because I had this to wear, my kick-ass American flag overalls — most patriotic outfit of all times. And that shut ’em up. There wasn’t much they could say after that. And when the president wins in November — yeah! — I’m pretty sure I’m going to get a sweet shout out in his victory speech for what I gave up to be here. Because when democracy is at stake, Jack Black answers the call. Mr. President, you’re welcome. That’s not the president. That’s not [Joe Biden], just a random dude. But I thought it would look better if I talked right to a guy.”

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