Jelly Roll Gets Emotional Rejecting Political Labels as He Concludes Guest Hosting 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!': 'Human Dignity Isn't Republican nor Democrat'

Jelly Roll ended his week guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! by getting emotional about the political labels people keep putting on him.

The 41-year-old singer, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, had spent the week joking about President Donald Trump, drawing backlash.

“Before this week, everybody thought I was MAGA, and now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” he joked.

“A lot of people seem to think these Jimmy Kimmel writers have secretly been pulling the strings and forcing this good old country boy to poke fun at our commander-in-chief,” he said. “Do you think I would take orders from some sweaty little dork named Josh? No, I was just telling it like it is.”

Jelly Roll also addressed photos of himself shaking Trump’s hand at a 2024 UFC fight, saying the gesture was about respect for the office, and for his late father, who was a veteran.

“I’m proud that I was able to shake the president of the United States’ hand,” he said. “I’m also proud that I live in a country where I can make jokes about him.”

Then he drew a line between courtesy and politics: “A conversation is not an allegiance and a joke is not a political point of view.”

Jelly Roll said the scrutiny goes back to February, when he won three Grammys and was asked afterward about his statement that “Jesus is not owned by one political party.”

“I fumbled my words,” he said on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. “By trying so hard not to make a political statement, I became one.”

“But my daddy always told me it is never too late to do the right thing. So, I’m going to try to do the right thing, right now, because human dignity isn’t Republican nor Democrat,” he said. “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.”

He noted that his past criminal convictions meant he was not allowed to vote until his rights were restored earlier this year, after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee pardoned him in December 2025. He plans to vote in November.

“It’s simple for me, y’all,” Jelly Roll said.

“I always wanted the recovering addict, the felon who is trying to change his life, the single mama working a double hard for her family, and everybody else that ever felt forgotten to know that I represent those without representation,” he continued.

Calling himself a “man of second chances” and faith, he quoted Jesus Christ’s command to “love your neighbor.”

“There wasn’t a political party exemption,” he said. “It just said, ‘Love your neighbor.’”