4 Reasons Why No One Believes Jelly Roll's Claim About Not Following Politics

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Jelly Roll's tragic life has had a huge turnaround since he decided to trade a life of crime and jail time for one of music and faith. The singer's rise to country superstardom reached its peak in 2026 when Jelly Roll won three Grammys: Two for collaborative songs and one for Best Contemporary Country Album for "Beautifully Broken." However, the night wasn't without controversy. Following his big Grammys victory, a Rolling Stone reporter asked Jelly Roll's opinion on "what's going on in our country right now," (via YouTube). The "Son of a Sinner" hitmaker shied away from the question, calling himself "a dumb redneck" who had never paid much attention to politics as a young man embroiled in drug use and multiple jail and prison stays. 

Despite promising to declare his views "loud and clear" at a later date, as of this writing, the country star has yet to do so. That hasn't stopped the chatter, though. There have been plenty of times when Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, hung out with people whose views are decidedly on one side of the fence, and others when he seemingly clapped back at certain stances held by those very same people. Whatever the case, all signs suggest that the "Liar" hitmaker isn't as unversed in politics as he'd like us to believe. 

You could hear the collective jaws dropping to the floor in disappointment when Jelly Roll's history with Kristi Noem was revealed to the world in August 2024. Then the governor of South Dakota, Noem posted photos on X, formerly known as Twitter, of herself embracing the "Save Me" hitmaker as he arrived to play his first-ever concert in the state. "I am proud to call this man my friend," she declared, praising both Jelly Roll's music and his inspiring story of rising above adversity. The news was met with vicious jeers. Unfortunately for Noem, her memoir, "No Going Back," had been published just a few months prior, with its startling revelation that she had once killed her young farm dog for being too high-spirited and untrainable. 

Jelly Roll makes incredible music — but his heart is even more incredible. He has overcome so much in his life (I won't recount it all here, but you should read about his story), and he pours that journey out in his music.

I am proud to call this man my friend. I welcomed him to... pic.twitter.com/9vsi99PxXd

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) August 7, 2024

It was a strike against her as Donald Trump's would-be running mate, and country fans were less than thrilled to see their fave posing happily with the governor. After Noem assumed her post as the Secretary of Homeland Security, the photos resurfaced and launched a fresh round of criticism at the idea of Jelly Roll palling around with someone so closely associated with the controversial ICE agency. "Jelly Roll has bad taste in friends," one fan wrote on X. 

Although the Grammy winner didn't comment, Jelly Roll diddefend pics of him looking excited to meet Trump at a UFC event, in December 2024, reasoning that anybody would be thrilled if the president was in the same room as them. "It was powerful, dude. Like I don't care what side of the aisle you're on," the country star explained on the "Dumb Blonde" podcast (via the New York Post).

In another case of "you're judged by the company you keep," Jelly Roll apparently has no qualms about performing with a hardline MAGA musician. He was announced for three of the shows on the Rock the Country tour, for Summer 2026. The seven-city festival just so happens to be the brainchild of Kid Rock, who has a mutual admiration society going on with President Donald Trump. Though Trump's taste in music runs more toward classic rock and Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, he and the "Bawitdaba" hitmaker have become unlikely pals. 

In fact, Kid Rock even claimed that Trump came to him for political advice, despite having no background in foreign affairs. And when the president blasted the choice of Bad Bunny as the halftime performer at Super Bowl LX, the rocker, born Robert James Ritchie, stepped in to headline the alternative concert (too bad the Turning Point USA halftime concert was a bigger flop than anyone expected). It's worth noting three other musical acts backed out of the Rock the Country tour because of Kid Rock's affiliations. 

As Shinedown explained on their X account, as a group who aims to bring the public together, "We do not want to participate in something we believe will create further division." Jelly Roll doesn't have any such fears, since he's still taking part as of this writing. Maybe the Grammy winner hopes his presence will act as a buffer between Kid Rock and more moderate audience members. Or he just likes the idea of a "Rock & Roll" pairing (see what we did there?). Whatever the case, the "Wild Ones" hitmaker's willingness to be involved with a far-right performer suggests he might not be a lib.

As friendly as Jelly Roll appears to be with high-profile Republican figures like Kristi Noem, Donald Trump, and Kid Rock, he disagrees with them on at least one key issue. Many of President Trump's cabinet and supporters are conservative Christians, who believe that their specific faith should be the law of the land. Some even go so far as to declare that the Lord himself chose Trump to lead America back to greatness. The divisive politician is more than happy to indulge their beliefs too. In a controversial move, Trump sold gaudy branded Bibles that included the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance — all of which defy that annoying "separation of church and state" business. 

The president has also heavily implied that Republicans are the only party rightfully aligned with Christianity. At the 2026 National Prayer Breakfast, Trump opined, "I don't know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat. I really don't," (via YouTube). But Jelly Roll would disagree. His impassioned acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammys was both a testament to his own firmly-held beliefs and a clapback at those who seek to politicize religion. "I want to tell y'all, Jesus is for everybody," he insisted (via YouTube). "Jesus is not owned by one political party. Jesus is not owned by one record label. Jesus is Jesus, and anybody can have a relationship with him." 

Despite his insistence that he's apolitical, Jelly Roll has let his views slip on occasion. In a 2024 interview with the New York Times, he confirmed, "I don't have a view of politics," and noted that, as a convicted felon, he no longer had the right to vote either. The country star also clucked at interviewer David Marchese for thinking that his vote actually made a difference. "If you need an afternoon off, you go vote," he quipped, laughing. "But if you think it actually weighs any merit of what's happening in this country, that's crazy." 

Moments later, however, Jelly Roll clarified, "I was being very tongue-in-cheek" about the subject, adding, "I know how important voting is." The Grammy winner went on to share that he was more concerned about bigger matters, like homelessness and street violence, than casting his ballot. "As much as voting truly is important, I also think finding a reason to come together and help people is important," the "I Am Not Okay" hitmaker soapboxed. Despite the interview occurring in the midst of the presidential elections, Jelly Roll didn't elaborate on his possible choice of candidate. 

Nor does he use his social media to comment on the issues of the day. The singer may change his tune soon, though. In December 2025, the governor of Tennessee granted Jelly Roll a pardon for his criminal record, so fans will be watching for a glimpse of him at his local polling place on election day. Will he be ready to back a candidate publicly by then?