After Jelly Roll was seen shaking the hand of Donald Trump after UFC 309, the internet had a lot to say, obviously. However, Mr Roll has spoken out about his meeting, defending himself and his actions.
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There was a lot of backlash to Jelly Roll and Trump's brief meeting in the crowds of the fight sport. People felt betrayed, or let down, by his enthusiasm. Bear in mind that this was just after the election, and nerves were still raw. Everything anyone did surrounding the presidency and the election was a touchy subject.
Despite not openly endorsing either candidate in the 2024 presidential race, Jelly Roll fans were put out by his friendly demeanor to Trump. "Jelly Roll was a Kamala supporter, That 2 face sellout piece of s--t!" one furious commenter posted. They clearly believed because they were a Kamala supporter, and they liked Mr Roll, that they were voting the same way.
The fan's fury didn't go unnoticed by Jelly Roll either. On the whole, he seems like a pretty chill guy and isn't out to upset anyone, even Trump. So, he reached out and put the baying crowds at ease.
Jelly Roll Opens Up About Meeting Donald Trump
Let's face it, if you met the president, wouldn't you be a little star-struck? I know there are some pretty polarizing opinions about him, but wouldn't you at least want to say hello? How many people get to say they shook hands with the leader of the 'Free World?'
This was how Jelly Roll responded to his fans over the Trump controversy. Speaking on Bunny XO's podcast, he said, "There's not a chance in hell I'm not going to meet the president-elect. If I would have got a call to meet Joe Biden at any point, I would have stopped what I was doing to go meet him. That's the active president. I wouldn't have cared what people thought, even what I think about his policies." The president is the president at the end of the day.
Besides, this, he reiterated that he is avidly nonpolitical. He keeps his music clean and chooses to keep his nose out of politics. He has every right to stay away from the incredibly vitriolic conflict between right and left in the US. It's better for his mental health, and better for his music. After all, he's a country musician, not a political activist.
Speaking about his political knowledge, he lays it down simply. "I'm also one of the old-school dudes. I like to talk about things I'm passionate about. With that, I like to know about them. I don't know enough about politics to act like I know anything that's going on, what anybody's standing for policy-wise. I genuinely don't know." Meeting Trump for Jelly Roll was the same as meeting any other president. He doesn't consider himself a political pundit, just a regular guy in the presence of a president.
