Jelly Roll clarified his political affiliation after cracking jokes about President Donald Trump on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Monday.
“Before this week, everybody thought I was MAGA, and now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” the singer, 41, said during his Thursday evening monologue guest-hosting the ABC show.
Noting that he shared supportive comments about the president’s UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House last month, the Grammy winner said, “Just because I watched a fight on TV doesn’t mean I support everything this administration does.”
However, he added, “Hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics.”
The songwriter, born Jason Bradley DeFord, explained, “Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks, I’m pretty down the middle. I am a Christian, I am a country music singer, I’m a farmer, I’m a bow hunter, and most of the things I eat I prefer to get with a stick and a string.”
He continued, “Human dignity isn’t Republican nor Democrat. Compassion isn’t left-wing, and mercy isn’t right-wing. Pain and healing knows no partisanship. Hurting hearts are more important than poll numbers. And there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.”
Jelly Roll went on to share a “hot take” — that he doesn’t regret shaking the politician’s hand in November 2024 and, in fact, is “proud” of the moment.
“Out of respect for [my late friend who served the Marines] and everybody who has ever served and continues to serve this country, I will always shake the hand of the sitting president of the United States when asked,” he shared. “My father would have been disappointed had I done anything other than that.”
The “Save Me” hitmaker added, “I will shake the hand of any president that occupies that office because a handshake is not an endorsement. A conversation is not allegiance. And a joke is not a political point of view.”
“In my business, taking a picture with a political figure, or anybody else for that matter, doesn’t mean you agree or disagree with their policies or politics. More often than not, I f–king don’t.”
Jelly Roll celebrated being able to “make jokes about” Trump, referencing his Monday monologue, in which he dubbed the “Apprentice” alum a “fat pig.”
“Ain’t that what’s great about being an American?” he asked viewers. “The democracy, the freedom of speech.”
Jelly Roll, notably, made headlines in February when he was asked about ICE on the Grammys red carpet and called himself someone “disconnected” from politics.
“People shouldn’t care to hear my opinion,” he said at the awards show. “I’m a dumb redneck. I haven’t watched enough.”
During Wednesday’s monologue, Jelly Roll admitted he “had a microphone and I didn’t use it the right way” at the time.
His most recent comments were an attempt to “try and do the right thing.”
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