Jelly Roll Responds to Criticism After Meeting with Donald Trump

“I’m not political!” the country singer told his wife Bunnie Xo on her ‘Dumb Blonde’ podcast

Jelly Roll; Donald Trump. Photo: Chris Saucedo/WireImage; Win McNamee/Getty

Jelly Roll is responding to criticism for meeting the President-elect Donald Trump.

While appearing on his wife Bunnie Xo’s podcast Dumb Blonde for the Dec. 16 episode, the “Halfway to Hell” singer spoke about meeting with Trump, 78 during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 16.

“Dude, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m not going to meet the president-elect. I don’t care,” Jelly, 40, said, noting how he would be excited to meet any president.

“If I got a call to meet Joe Biden, I would have stopped at any point and [met] him,” the singer added. “That’s the active president. I don’t care about what he thinks or I think about policies.”

Donald Trump and Jelly Roll in 2024.Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

“I don’t hide behind the I’m not political stuff. I’m not political! People who actually know me know I’m also one of the old-school dudes,” he continued. “I like to talk about things I’m passionate about. With that, I like to know about it. I don’t know enough about politics to act like I know anything that’s going on or what anybody’s standing for policy-wise.”

The “Son of a Sinner” singer added that he didn’t grow up in a “voting culture” at home where his parents “pushed” him to vote. “They did push respecting the president though,” he said, adding that he thinks the position is “the hardest job in the world.”

“Meeting President Trump was cool. Ultimately, I don’t really care [about] any blowback I get about it,” Jelly concluded. “The truth is: It was really cool to meet the president.”

Bunnie, 44, agreed. “Anybody who gets the opportunity to meet a president, a vice president… anything like that. It’s a f—ing honor.”

Jelly Roll in 2024.Sam Hodde/Getty

Jelly also spoke about how “honored” he was to have time with the senators in January who talked to him about his testimony on the fentanyl crisis. “And I didn’t know which side any of them were on … I’m trying to bring things together here, man. I’m gonna work with whatever administration is in play, for the rest of my life. Because my cause will always be what it is.”

The singer testified before Congress asking for a bill to pass that would combat the supply and distribution of the drug throughout the country.

Jelly spent 10 years in and out of prison on charges ranging from aggravated robbery to possession with intent to sell cocaine. In a November PEOPLE cover, the Grammy-nominated star said he’s made peace with his past but is still healing.

“I’m rounding third on my amends list, and I think when I get there, I’ll feel a little better. I was hitting some stone walls with people that wouldn’t forgive me, and I was like, ‘God, maybe this has something to do with the fact [that] I haven’t forgiven myself either,” he said at the time. “I brush over 10, 12, 15 years of living an extremely crazy, narcissistic, selfish lifestyle in a two-second sentence in an interview. The truth is, there was a lot of pain in there. I hurt a lot of people. No matter much I’ve changed, they still watch and are mad that I’m successful. I understand that. But I’m doing better at letting go of the past and realizing that I don’t owe that part of me anything.”