Not backing down.
Country singer Jelly Roll is serving as a guest host on Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week, and he’s already created quite the firestorm after using his monologue on Monday to take some shots at President Donald Trump.
Jelly Roll started by joking about the president waving the green flag at the Freedom 250 IndyCar event in Washington, D.C. this past weekend, before turning his attention to Trump’s weight:
“In the last few years I’ve lost 300 pounds. That means I’ve lost an entire Donald Trump. And let’s be honest, based on his approval ratings, it seems like most of the country wants to do the same thing… Well, Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important. And trust me, you’ll be happy to see your penis again.”
Jelly Roll has never been especially political, and in fact has said in the past that he doesn’t identify with either political party because he lost his right to vote as a convicted felon. But he’s also been spotted shaking hands with Trump before, during a UFC event back in 2024, and is often branded as “MAGA” by left-wing media.
Well naturally, any time someone jumps into politics (although let’s be real, those jokes were probably written by the show’s writers and not actually by Jelly Roll), there’s going to be plenty of backlash. And last night, Jelly Roll took some time to respond to those who were upset that he made fun of the president on Monday:
“It’s because I’m hosting a damn late night show. That’s where you talk about the news and you make jokes. But I guess apparently because I did it, it really messed with people’s heads.”
Far from being apologetic, Jelly Roll gave a shoutout to frequent Trump critic (and last week’s guest host) Rosie O’Donnell before defending his jokes at the president’s expense:
“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. I don’t even treat myself with reverence and dignity. …
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.
Now let’s be honest for a second: Any US 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.
Look y’all, I get it. 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.
So for those who threatened to stop listening to my music based on my comments last night, I just want to say with conviction: Go right ahead. Because I’m going to keep speaking my truth, or my name isn’t Post Malone.”
While Jelly Roll also mentioned “getting in trouble with the president,” as of right now neither Trump nor anyone else in the White House has commented on his appearance on the show. Maybe that joke was written ahead of time assuming (or hoping) that Trump would come after him…
