What We Know About Jelly Roll's Politics After His Buzzy Trump Meeting

Jelly Roll may have burst onto the mainstream music scene in 2022, but he didn't need any time at all to captivate country fans everywhere. Jelly Roll's openness about his troubled past and time in prison has earned him praise from critics and fans. But while Jelly Roll isn't shy about discussing his tragic life, the Grammy-nominated newcomer is a lot less interested in politicizing his struggles. That's why fans were surprised when he greeted President-elect Donald Trump with visible enthusiasm at UFC 309 in November 2024.

🚨BREAKING: LEGENDARY SINGER JELLY ROLL JUST GREETED PRESIDENT TRUMP WITH A MASSIVE SMILE AT UFC 309!

He also greeted Elon Musk, Kid Rock, and Don Jr.

This is HUGE!🔥 pic.twitter.com/6TEIBEc8ZG

— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) November 17, 2024

Despite his general apolitical approach, some netizens were convinced Jelly Roll was a liberal because he has been vocal about the opioid crisis and his support of criminal justice reform, causes generally embraced by Democrats. For many, the "Son of a Sinner" singer confirmed these suspicions when he went on a rant against Elon Musk's X, previously known as Twitter, ahead of the elections. "This is for sure the most toxic negative app to exist ever," he tweeted.

When the video of him being friendly not only with Donald but also with Donald Trump Jr. and Musk made the rounds, his fans were confused. He appeared to further crush suspicions of his left-leaning tendencies when he shared a picture of himself photobombing Musk and Kid Rock to X. Besides, this wasn't the first time Jelly Roll mingled with the Trumps. Jelly Roll posed for a photo with Trump's oldest granddaughter, Kai Trump, at a July 2024 UFC event. However, Jelly Roll has long maintained he has no political affiliations.

Whether he is a Donald Trump sympathizer is unclear, but Jelly Roll didn't vote for him. That wasn't by choice, though. Jelly Roll was tried as an adult for aggravated robbery when he was 16, becoming a convicted felon before he reached voting age. Since convicted felons lose their right to vote, Jelly Roll has never voted in any election. He went out of his way to clarify this when a TikTok user accused Jelly Roll and his wife, Bunnie Xo, of voting for Trump. "I can't vote sir — at all. lol. Nor have I ever," he wrote in a since-deleted reply (via Whiskey Riff).

While Jelly Roll has tried to distance himself from politics, he has spoken about his disillusionment with the political system, particularly its handling of felons and those suffering from addiction. "I don't appreciate the way they treat guys like me, especially after we've been proven to be rehabilitated and become taxpaying citizens," he told the Los Angeles Times in 2023.

Jelly Roll has also addressed the role nonprofit programs played in his rehabilitation while incarcerated, suggesting that the government is good at throwing citizens in jail only to then disappear. "It seems like you only infringe on us when it's convenient for y'all," he told The New York Times. During his testimony before a Senate hearing on the fentanyl crisis in January, he clarified he saw the issue as apolitical. "I have no political alliance. I am neither Democrat nor Republican," he said.