NEWSJelly Roll Shrugs Off Donald Trump Joke Backlash During 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' Guest Week
Jelly Roll addressed the backlash over his jokes about Donald Trump on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!.’
Aug. 28 2026, Published 7:32 a.m. ET
Jelly Roll did not seem especially rattled that a few Trump jokes sent part of his fanbase into shock.
The country star, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, is guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! during the week of August 24–27 as part of the show’s summer rotation. After using his first monologue to joke about President Donald Trump’s weight gain and approval ratings, Jelly Roll returned Tuesday night with a message for viewers who apparently did not expect political punchlines from him.
The Backlash Gets a Monologue
He said he was simply doing his job as a late-night guest host.
Jelly Roll pulled up a headline from TheWrap noting that his Trump jokes had stunned the Kimmel audience.
“I did a couple of jokes like that last night, in case y’all didn’t hear about it,” he said after making another dig at the White House’s ballroom project. “And it’s because I’m hosting a d--- late-night show. That’s where you talk about the news and you make jokes.”
The reaction, he said, was stranger than almost anything else in his public life.
“I have to say, as a former felon, drug dealer who has lost 300 pounds, has tattoos all over his face and won three Grammys, this is the weirdest thing I’ve ever done to stun people,” he said.
Fans Pick Sides
Jelly Roll joked about surprising fans who expected him to avoid political humor.
Some of the surprise came from viewers who assumed Jelly Roll’s country audience meant he would avoid mocking Trump. Some fans on social media accused him of alienating supporters, while others defended him, arguing that Trump and his allies regularly insult critics and should be able to take jokes in return.
Jelly Roll framed the outrage as a misunderstanding of both late night and his own persona.
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Some viewers criticized his Donald Trump jokes while others defended his approach.
“Some folks online were upset that I didn’t treat the president with reverence and dignity. But I want to remind y’all that I go by the name Jelly Roll,” he said.
“I don’t even treat myself with reverence and dignity,” he continued. “One day I looked in the mirror and said, ‘You, my friend, are a pastry.’”
Not Rosie’s Problem Anymore
The backlash against Jelly Roll followed Rosie O’Donnell’s guest-hosting week.
The singer also noted that his backlash followed Rosie O’Donnell’s guest-hosting week, which repeatedly poked at Trump and drew a sharp White House response.
“Who would have guessed I’d get in more trouble with the president than Rosie O’Donnell?” Jelly Roll joked. “I love you, Rosie. Thanks for having my back today, baby.”
He did not back away from the larger point.
“Any U.S. president should be able to handle a few jokes, right?” he said.
Then he addressed anyone threatening to boycott.
“I just want to say with conviction, go right ahead ’cause I’m going to keep speaking my truth or my name isn’t Post Malone,” he joked.
