Jelly Roll has no time for MAGA supporters who are shocked by his jabs at Trump.
The Tennessee native and Grammy-winning star is hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week as a part of Kimmel’s summer rotation of celebrity guest stand-ins. For his first monologue on Monday, Jelly Roll—whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord—made brutal remarks about Donald Trump’s weight gain and approval ratings.
For some reason, the rapper turned country music star said, his role in roasting Trump “really messed with people’s heads.”
He displayed a headline from The Wrap, titled: “Jelly Roll Stuns ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ Audience With Multiple Jabs at Trump: ‘Didn’t See This Coming’.” The article included several comments from fans appearing to be confused by the rapper’s political affiliation, with one writing, “Wait, hold up. Isn’t Jelly Roll MAGA?”
The star delivered a message to anyone taken aback by his quips, saying on Tuesday night, “It’s because I’m hosting a damn late-night show. That’s where you talk about the news, and you make jokes.”
Jelly Roll said he was surprised by the reaction. “I have to say, as a former felon, drug dealer who has lost 300 lb, has tattoos all over his face and won three Grammys, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done to stun people.”
While some fans appear pleasantly surprised that the musician has leaned into his late-night gig and mocked the president, others were not as impressed. On X, several MAGA loyalists complained that the rapper is “falling off the deep end.” One called him a “f—ing sellout” while another said, “I bet you lost half of your base that you made your money from.”
A hardcore MAGA user addressed Jelly Roll directly, writing, “You spend years building a fanbase that crosses political lines including a HUGE number of country fans who support Trump and then walk onto late-night television and turn the President into your punchline? Don’t act shocked those fans walk away.”
Others jumped to the rapper’s defense, with users calling out MAGA’s hypocrisy over the issue of free speech and labeling them “crybabies.” One X user wrote, “So Trump can call a reporter piggy but Jelly Roll or anyone can call Trump a Fat Pig? Make it make sense.”
Jelly Roll seems unfazed by the backlash and threats to boycott his music.
“Some folks online were upset that I didn’t treat the president with reverence and dignity. But I want to remind y’all that I go by the name Jelly Roll,” he said.
“I don’t even treat myself with reverence and dignity,” he laughed. “One day I looked in the mirror and said, ‘You, my friend, are a pastry.’ Frankly, I think most people were just surprised that I had any opinions at all. They see a guy that looks like me and assume the only opinion I have is whether I prefer my meth crystal or classic.”
His comments echo what he has previously told reporters about politics and public perception.
As Kimmel’s audience cheered, Jelly Roll took another jab at the president, saying, “Now, let’s be honest for a second. Any U.S. president should be able to handle a few jokes, right? They should also be able to handle gas prices, healthcare, and the occasional international conflict, but can’t be true.”
“Look, y’all, I get it that some people are mad at me for goofing on Trump, but if you wanted me to make jokes about Kamala Harris, you should have voted for her,” he quipped.
The star noted that the response is quite a “turn of events,” adding, “Who would have guessed I’d get in more trouble with the president than Rosie O’Donnell?”
O’Donnell guest-hosted Kimmel’s show last week.
“So, for those who threatened to stop listening to my music based on my comments last night,” Jelly Roll continued, “I just want to say with conviction: go right ahead, ‘cause I’m going to keep speaking my truth, or my name isn’t Post Malone.”
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