Jelly Roll says he won’t back off after roasting Trump after ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ diss
Jelly Roll does not plan on backing down after some of his remarks about President Donald Trump on Jimmy Kimmel Live! sparked a furious reaction from MAGA supporters.
The country star addressed the controversy during the August 25 episode after his previous monologue caught viewers off guard.
The singer, who was guest-hosting the ABC late-night show while Jimmy Kimmel takes his summer break, made it clear that he saw nothing unusual about his Trump material.
Jelly Roll responds to MAGA backlash on his late-night monologue
Jelly Roll acted baffled about how his Trump jokes had caused such a stir. “You know what, I did a couple jokes like that last night in case y’all didn’t hear about it,” he said before explaining why he made the comments.
He pointed out that he had a simple reason for taking aim at Trump: “It’s because I’m hosting a d*** late-night show. That’s where you talk about the news and you make jokes.”
Jelly Roll noted that his jokes had apparently “messed with people’s heads,” referencing the reaction that followed his Trump-heavy monologue.
He suggested that people may have been staggered by his comments because of how they perceive him.
“Frankly, I think most people were just surprised that I had any opinions at all,” he said, adding that people see someone who looks like him and assume his only opinions involve drugs.
The artist defended his right to take jabs at the president, saying Trump should be able to “handle a few” jokes. He added that the president should also be able to handle issues such as gas prices, health care and international conflicts.
The “Save Me” hitmaker then responded to viewers who threatened to boycott his music because of his Trump jokes. “I just want to say with conviction, go right ahead ’cause I’m going to keep speaking my truth,” he declared, before jokingly misguiding, “or my name isn’t Post Malone.”
What Jelly Roll said about Donald Trump on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
The backlash began with Jelly Roll’s August 24 monologue, when he took several unexpected shots at Trump.
He started with the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., which Trump attended.
“Let’s talk about the main event of America this weekend. It was the big IndyCar race hosted by the president,” Jelly Roll said.
He then mocked Trump’s attempts to wave the flag at the race.
“But the president seemed to enjoy the IndyCar race, which was a real switch-up for him, ’cause normally he only likes his own race,” the rapper joked.
Jelly Roll even mocked the president’s weight and compared it with his own weight-loss journey.
“In the last few years, I’ve lost 300 lb. That means I’ve lost an entire Donald Trump,” he said.
He then connected the joke to Trump’s approval ratings, suggesting that “most of the country” wanted to lose Trump as well.
These remarks stunned viewers who had initially assumed Jelly Roll was firmly in Trump’s camp.