Country musician Jelly Roll clapped back at critics after meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, which he explained had nothing to do with politics but rather a deep-rooted respect for the presidency.
Sitting down on “Dumb Blonde,” the podcast hosted by his wife, Bunnie Xo, the 40-year-old artist, whose real name is Jason DeFord, explained why he didn’t think twice about shaking hands with Trump at UFC 309, held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Dude, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m not going to meet the president-elect,” Jelly Roll commented. “I don’t care.”
He supported his stance by noting his openness to meeting President Joe Biden as well, stating, “If I got a call to meet [President] Joe Biden, I would have stopped at any point and [met] him.”
JELLY ROLL X DONALD TRUMP!!!
THE PEOPLE LOVE TRUMP!
pic.twitter.com/muY0uRMIlY— Graham Allen (@GrahamAllen_1) November 17, 2024
“That’s the active president,” he added. “I don’t care about what he thinks or I think about policies.”
The country star made it clear that he doesn’t shy away from honesty about his limited political knowledge, saying, “I don’t hide behind the ‘I’m not political’ stuff. I’m not political!”
He characterized himself as someone who prefers speaking on topics he’s passionate about, admitting he lacks sufficient understanding of policy to adopt strong stances on issues.
“I don’t know enough about politics to act like I know anything that’s going on or what anybody’s standing for policy-wise,” he noted.
Raised without elections being a priority in his household, DeFord highlighted a family value that stayed with him – reverence for the office of the president.
“They did push respecting the president though,” he shared, describing the role as “the hardest job in the world.”
During the famed UFC event, images surfaced capturing the singer’s handshake and brief interaction with Trump, setting the internet abuzz.
DeFord stood firm on his actions, adding, “meeting President Trump was cool. Ultimately, I don’t really care [about] any blowback I get about it.”
He concluded, “The truth is: It was really cool to meet the president.”
Interestingly, despite claiming he’s not engaged politically, Jelly Roll did venture into policy advocacy earlier this year.
Using personal experience as fuel, the “Son Of A Sinner” artist took a bold step in urging Congress to pass anti-fentanyl legislation.
Delivering testimony during a Senate hearing on the opioid crisis, singer Jelly Roll says fentanyl “is truly the biggest crisis” in America, calling it “devastating.”
“I have seen drugs from an early age…nothing has held a candle to what’s happening with fentanyl,” he says. pic.twitter.com/DIuJMfEqDZ
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 11, 2024
Reflecting on his struggles with substance abuse and a history in dealing drugs, DeFord delivered a compelling speech before lawmakers in January.
Speaking to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Jelly Roll lent his voice to advocate for the Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act, a bill brought forth by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).
Drawing attention to the prevalence of overdose deaths, the musician pointedly stated, “It’s important to note before I start that, in these five minutes I’ll be speaking, somebody in the United States will die of a drug overdose.”
He clarified, “And it is almost a 72 percent chance that during those five minutes, it will be fentanyl-related.”
DeFord pointed out that he had no political affiliation to either party, and due to his previous drug convictions, has not been allowed to vote in U.S. elections.
“I have never paid attention to a political race in my life,” DeFord explained, adding that “ironically” his impartiality made him an ideal spokesperson on the issue.
Jelly Roll’s testimony laid bare the gravity of the fentanyl epidemic, likening the fatalities to a daily plane crash.
“Could you imagine the national media attention it would get if they were reporting that a plane was crashing every single day and killing 190 people?” he asked, urging lawmakers to consider the shame and neglect faced by drug addicts in America.
“Because America has been known to bully and shame drug addicts instead of dealing and trying to understand what the actual root of the problem is,” he argued.
Sharing personal losses, he confessed to attending numerous funerals for loved ones whose lives were claimed by addiction.
“I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I love dearly, deeply in my soul. Good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people.”
He expressed sympathy for those who develop painkiller dependencies due to accidents, painting a picture of how addiction spirals out of control.
Honest about his past, DeFord admitted to both using and distributing drugs, saying, “I was a part of the problem. I am here now, standing as a man that wants to be a part of the solution.”
“I brought my community down. I hurt people,” DeFord conceded.