Jelly Roll has built a loyal following through raw, emotional music and a major public weight-loss journey. But the singer is now facing a surge of backlash after being announced as a performer at Kid Rock’s ‘Rock The Country’ festival this summer.
Kid Rock — born Robert James Ritchie — is outspoken about his MAGA politics and is taking the festival to eight towns, including Bellville, Texas, and Ocala, Florida. Because of those political associations, the event has sparked criticism that’s now spilling over to artists on the lineup.
Jelly Roll Faces Backlash Over ‘Rock The Country’ Booking
As of now, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, and Nelly are also slated to appear alongside the 41-year-old “Son of a Sinner” hitmaker.
Actor and rapper Ludacris was originally booked as well, but dropped out after fans flooded him with backlash. Some fans are now wondering whether Jelly Roll could face similar pressure.
“Oh man. Jelly Roll? I’m heartbroken,” one fan wrote on Threads beneath a poster listing the festival’s artists. Another added: “I can’t believe I defended @jellyroll615 and then this BS… apparently Ludacris dropped out when he saw the WAVE of comments. This is a full-on MAGA train, and I’m so saddened by a lot of these names, but not surprised.”
A third fan wrote: “I feel the same. I have loved Jelly Roll from the get go. I don’t necessarily think he aligns with MAGA and I’m guessing he just sees this as a big party. Still highly disappointed though.”
Others were harsher. “I really believed in Jelly and Bunnie. But it became clear [they] are full on MAGA. It’s a [expletive] shame,” one person wrote, referencing his wife Bunnie XO (Alisa DeFord). Another commented: “I’m shocked that Jelly Roll is participating. Disappointed.”
Some said they weren’t surprised at all. “Sorry, but Jelly Roll was a red flag from the get-go,” one fan wrote, while another replied: “I’m shocked people are surprised by this. He has MAGA vibes.” Another added: “I know very little about Jelly Roll, but he’s always screamed MAGA.” One person asked: “Why are people even acting surprised that Jelly Roll is MAGA?”
More Negative Reactions Spread Across TikTok and Reddit
The criticism continued on TikTok as well. “Not Jelly Roll,” one upset fan posted. Another wrote: “So disappointed in Jelly Roll,” and someone replied: “How are you disappointed? He’s always been on that side.”
On Reddit, several users said they assumed he supported Donald Trump long before this festival news. “I always just assumed this dude was MAGA,” one commenter wrote.
“He’s been singing Christian worship music lately, so, yeah. Of course he’s MAGA,” another person posted. A third agreed: “He went country a few years ago and his fans are just now figuring out he’s MAGA?”
Others piled on with blunt reactions. “Seemed pretty obvious,” one wrote. Another joked: “You’re kidding me, the guy with 4th grade reading level lyrics and face tattoos, the ex-meth addict is Maga? I could have never guessed.”
Jelly Roll and Bunnie Previously Called Meeting Trump an “Honor”
For many fans, the controversy feels connected to Jelly Roll’s past public moment with Donald Trump. In 2024, at a UFC event at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the singer appeared visibly excited while shaking hands with Trump, who was president-elect at the time.
After that interaction drew backlash, Jelly Roll and Bunnie addressed it on her Dumb Blonde podcast, saying they believe it’s an “honor” to meet any president, president-elect, or former president — regardless of politics.
“We were told that the president is the highest honor in the world. When you meet a president, that’s a [expletive] honor, no matter if you like them or not,” Bunnie said. Jelly Roll agreed, adding: “Dude, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m not going to meet the president-elect.”
“I don’t care — if I got a call to meet Joe Biden, I would have stopped at any point and meet him,” he said. “That’s the active president. I don’t care about what he thinks or I think about policies. I don’t hide behind the I’m not political stuff. I’m not political!”
He also noted that, as an ex-felon, he is not legally allowed to vote. Still, he said he doesn’t follow politics closely enough to claim a side.
“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,” he said. “I didn’t grow up in a voting culture. My father didn’t push voting on me, my mother didn’t push voting on me.” He concluded: “They did push respecting the president though.”
