Jelly Roll Clarifies His Political Views and Regrets Staying Silent at the 2026 Grammys
Jelly Roll is opening up about his political beliefs after months of avoiding the subject publicly.
Jelly Roll clarifies his political views, regrets not speaking up at the 2026 Grammys and urges people to focus on compassion.
The singer-songwriter addressed his views Thursday night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where he has been serving as guest host during Jimmy Kimmel’s summer hiatus. His comments came after jokes about Donald Trump in an earlier monologue sparked backlash from some conservatives.
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Jelly Roll said the reaction to his appearance had caused people to make assumptions about where he stands politically.
“It is funny that before this week everybody thought I was MAGA. And now they think I’m some sort of liberal snowflake,” he said. “Hosting Jimmy Kimmel’s show doesn’t mean I have all of Jimmy Kimmel’s politics. Sure, I lean left on some things, but like most folks I’m pretty down the middle.”
He also described several parts of his identity while explaining his outlook.
“I am a Christian. I am a country music singer. I’m a farmer. I’m a bow hunter. And most of the things I eat, I prefer to get with a stick and a string. That’s the truth.”
Jelly Roll Says His Beliefs Are Simple
Jelly Roll went on to describe his beliefs as “simple,” emphasizing his desire for people who are struggling to feel seen. He specifically mentioned a “recovering addict,” a “felon who is trying to change his life” and a “single mama working a double hard for her family.”
His comments also included regret over how he handled his opportunity to speak publicly after winning three Grammys earlier this year.
“That night at the Grammys, I had an opportunity to speak up for people who were scared, hurting and felt like nobody was speaking for them. I had a microphone and I didn’t use it the right way,” he said. “So I am 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 know no partisanship. Hurting hearts are more important than poll numbers. And there are no boundaries or borders for broken families.”
His Grammy Speech Focused on Faith
During his acceptance speech for best contemporary country album, Jelly Roll spoke passionately about his faith and encouraged people to find Jesus.
“There was a time in my life, y’all, when I was broken. That’s why I wrote this album. I didn’t think I had a chance y’all,” he said in part. “I was a horrible human.”
He also reflected on the role that music and faith played in helping him move away from the darkness he described.
“I believed that music had the power to change my life and God had the power to change my life.”
Jelly Roll concluded that portion of his remarks with a message about Jesus and politics.
“Jesus is for everybody. Jesus is not owned by any one political party. Jesus is Jesus. Anybody can have a relationship with him. I love you Lord.”
Why Jelly Roll Previously Refused to Discuss Politics
Despite his comments about faith at the Grammys, Jelly Roll had declined to discuss his political beliefs backstage that night. This came as numerous artists condemned ICE onstage.
“People shouldn’t care to hear my opinion. I’m a dumb redneck,” he said at the time.
However, he also promised that he would eventually explain his beliefs.
“I have a lot to say about it … and everybody’s going to hear exactly what I have to say about it the most loud and clear way I’ve ever spoken in my life,” he added.
On Thursday, Jelly Roll revisited that decision and described his Grammy victories as the “greatest honor” and the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
“And immediately after, I was asked to make what I felt at the time was a political stance,” he said. “I was afraid that anything I was going to say was going to be immediately taken as a political statement. And, ironically, by trying so hard not to make a political statement, I became one.”
He said that the months since the Grammys had involved people making their own conclusions about his beliefs.
“For the last six months, I’ve watched people decide who I am, what I am, what I believe, what I support and what I don’t support. And I felt that even more this week, just because I told a couple of jokes.”
Jelly Roll Says His Message Should Have Been About Love
Looking back, Jelly Roll said he should have focused on the two commandments he associates with Jesus.
Instead, Jelly said, he should’ve said, “[Jesus] gave us two commandments. ‘Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.’ … There wasn’t a political party exemption. It did not require us to know what country you were born in. There wasn’t a sentence afterward that said, ‘Unless you’re afraid of them.’ It just said, ‘Love your neighbor.'”
Jelly Roll also addressed his plans to participate politically now that his right to vote has been restored. The former convicted felon, who was pardoned in December, said he plans to make his voice heard in this year’s midterm elections.
He said he “would never be so afraid of being called political again.”
His broader message was one of finding common ground despite political disagreements.
“We may disagree. We may argue. We may vote completely. But let’s try not to let the couple of things we disagree about forget the hundreds and hundreds of things we have in common.”
