Jelly Roll is letting the criticism roll off his back.
Speaking on his wife Bunnie XO’s “Dumb Blonde” podcast, the “Save Me” singer, 40, addressed backlash he received after meeting President-elect Donald Trump at a UFC event in November.
“There’s not a chance in hell I’m not going to meet the president-elect,” he said. “If I would have gotten a call to go meet with Joe Biden at any point, I would have stopped what I was doing to go meet him. That’s the active president! I wouldn’t have cared what people thought, even what I think, about his policies.”
The Grammy nominee was spotted greeting Trump while both were in attendance for UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden in November. Video showed the singer laughing and smiling as he exchanged words with the Republican presidential nominee, who had recently won the 2024 election.
Some interpreted the exchange as an indication that Jelly Roll supports Trump. But on the podcast, he told listeners he is not a “political” person and was raised to have respect for the president regardless of who holds the office because it’s the “hardest job in the world.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Jelly Rolllost 110 pounds after ‘battle’ with food addiction after diet, working out
“I don’t hide behind the ‘I’m not political’ stuff. I’m not political,” he said. “… I like to talk about things I’m passionate about. With that, I like to know about them. I don’t know enough about politics to act like I know anything that’s going on, what anybody’s standing for, policy wise. I genuinely don’t know.”
Putting politics aside, Jelly Roll argued it was “powerful” to see the president-elect walk into Madison Square Garden for the event. He said he wasn’t initially sure he would get to meet Trump until the former president made eye contact and pointed at him, so the singer walked over.
After they shook hands, Jelly Roll said Trump told him he loves his song “Save Me” and that “you’re doing incredible things.”
Jelly Roll album‘Beautifully Broken’ exposes regrets, struggle for redemption: Review
“Meeting President Trump was cool,” he said. “Ultimately, I don’t really care about any blowback I get about it. The truth is, it was really cool to meet the president.”
Jelly Roll, who is unable to vote as a convicted felon, previously told Rolling Stone he wouldn’t give followers voting advice ahead of the 2024 election. “People go, ‘Why don’t you tell people to vote for somebody?'” he said. “You want me to tell people to vote for a system that won’t let me vote?”