Country singer Jelly Roll started crying on national television after his attacks on President Donald Trump triggered boycott threats and fierce backlash from his own listeners. The Grammy winner had spent several nights mocking Trump while guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before defiantly telling offended fans to stop listening to his music. By the final show of his hosting stint, Jelly Roll was wiping away tears while attempting to explain his political views.
The controversy began after Jelly Roll turned his opening Kimmel monologue into a string of jokes at Trump’s expense. The singer attacked the president’s weight, health, approval ratings, and physical appearance while discussing Trump’s appearance at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C. The routine quickly circulated online, where longtime listeners accused Jelly Roll of alienating the country music fans who had supported his career.
Jelly Roll claimed Trump “normally only likes his own race” before comparing the president’s weight to the 300 pounds the singer had lost. “That means I’ve lost an entire Donald Trump,” he said. “And let’s be honest, based on his approval rating, it seems like most of the country wants to do the same thing.” He then played clips of Trump commenting on other people’s appearances before delivering his most vulgar attack.
As People reported, the singer addressed Trump directly during the segment. “Well, Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important,” Jelly Roll said before making another crude remark about the president’s body. The routine prompted criticism from viewers who believed Jelly Roll had joined the long list of entertainers who use late-night television to attack Trump.
Jelly Roll acknowledged the backlash during the following night’s broadcast, saying that “some folks online were upset” because he had not treated the president with “reverence and dignity.” Rather than back away from the remarks, he mocked the criticism and said any president should be able to withstand a few jokes. He then directly addressed fans who were threatening to boycott his music.
“So for those who threatened to stop listening to my music based on my comments last night, I just want to say with conviction: Go right ahead,” Jelly Roll declared. “Because I’m gonna keep speaking my truth or my name isn’t Post Malone.” The defiant response added fuel to the controversy, as clips of his Trump attacks and dismissal of former listeners continued spreading across social media.
On his final night behind Kimmel’s desk, however, Jelly Roll abandoned the combative tone and began discussing a separate controversy from the 2026 Grammy Awards. Entertainment Weekly reported that a journalist had asked him backstage to comment on the political climate amid ICE operations in Minneapolis. Jelly Roll declined, called himself a “dumb redneck,” and argued that people should not care about his political opinions.
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Jelly Roll told the Kimmel audience that he had been afraid any answer would immediately be interpreted as a political statement. “And ironically, by trying so hard not to make a political statement, I became one,” he said. The singer claimed that he had missed an opportunity to speak for people who were “scared, hurting, and felt like nobody was speaking for them.”
The singer then began wiping away tears while delivering the answer he said he should have given at the Grammys. “But my daddy always told me, it is never too late to do the right thing,” Jelly Roll said. “So I’m going to try to do the right thing, right now, because human dignity isn’t Republican nor Democrat. Compassion isn’t left wing, and mercy isn’t right wing. Pain and healing knows no partisanship. Hurting hearts are more important than poll numbers, and there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.”
Watch Jelly Roll start crying in front of the Kimmel audience here:
Jelly Roll CRIES while hosting Jimmy Kimmel amid MAGA backlash for calling Trump a “fat pig.”
“Human dignity isn’t Republican or Democrat. Compassion isn’t left wing and mercy isn’t right wing…there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.” pic.twitter.com/16NFyWzKIj
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) August 29, 2026
Jelly Roll finished by invoking his own experience as a convicted felon who received a second chance in the United States. “This country gave me room and a chance to become something more than the biggest and worst mistake I ever made,” he said. “I got to build a life. I got to make music. I got to take care of my family, and I got to stand on that stage that night and win a Grammy, and that is the American dream.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.