Jelly Roll Slams Politicians On Both Sides For “Sh*t Job,” Addresses 2024 Trump Photo: “A Handshake Is Not An Endorsement”
Country star Jelly Roll used his final night as guest host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! to address the political backlash he faced after avoiding a question about his political views at the Grammy Awards in February, saying his attempt to stay neutral had itself been read as a political statement. He also defended a widely circulated 2024 photo of him shaking Donald Trump's hand at a UFC event, insisting the gesture was a mark of respect rather than a political endorsement, and criticised politicians from both major parties for failing to unite the country.
In his speech, Jelly Roll explained he had only been able to vote since March 2026, after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pardoned him in December 2025 for earlier felony convictions, restoring his voting rights ahead of this November's elections. He said he wanted to speak up for "the voiceless" and stressed that shaking a sitting president's hand was, for him, a matter of respect for his late father, a US Marine Corps veteran, rather than a sign of allegiance. He closed by saying leaders on both sides of the political divide were doing "an absolute sh*t job" of bringing Americans together, urging people not to let disagreements overshadow their common ground.
- Jelly Roll addressed Grammys political-question backlash on Kimmel finale
- Said 2024 Trump handshake was respect, not an endorsement
- Regained voting rights via 2025 pardon; slammed both political parties
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Country music artist Jelly Roll, known for songs blending country, rock and hip-hop influences, has spent his final week hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! in place of its regular host. He has previously spoken openly about his past struggles with addiction and time in prison as a teenager, which shaped his public image as someone who has turned his life around, and this history is central to why his political comments have drawn attention.
A photo of Jelly Roll shaking Donald Trump's hand at a UFC event in 2024 circulated widely and led some to assume he supported Trump politically, while his reluctance to answer a question about his political views at the Grammy Awards in February drew separate criticism for seeming evasive. His voting rights were only restored in March 2026, after Tennessee's governor pardoned him in December 2025 for earlier criminal convictions, meaning this year's elections are the first in which he can vote.
The story matters because it touches on wider tensions around celebrities engaging with politics, the assumptions people make from public gestures like handshakes or photographs, and debates over political polarisation in the United States ahead of elections in November 2026.