RESOLVING THE LEDGER
This is one outlet's own report from Newsweek — the article as it was filed. Other outlets are covering the same event; open the full story to compare every source side by side.
See the full story · 1 sources
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. The country music star Jelly Roll has mocked the backlash to his jokes about President Donald Trump while guest hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, saying that any president should be able to "handle a few jokes."
On Monday, Jelly Roll joked about Trump's weight while addressing his own 300-pound weight-loss. "That means I've lost an entire Donald Trump," he said. "And let's be honest, based on his approval ratings, it seems like most of the country wants to do the same thing."
Several Trump-supporting social media accounts spoke out against the joke, including one called Eagle Wings that branded Jelly Roll a "traitor" and accused him of abandoning his "blue-collar, working class, 'one of us' image."
"You don't get to sell authenticity to country fans, take their money, pose like you're still in the trailer park, then run to late-night TV and punch down at the man half your audience supports," the post said. "That's not comedy. That's a calculated sell-out. Jelly Roll just told every fan who still believed in him exactly what he thinks of them."
Another conservative account called Glockford Files wrote: "Ozempic enthusiast Jelly Roll decided to fill in for communist propagandist Jimmy Kimmel and decided to attack President Trump. Thanks for letting us all know that you are complete fraud."
Responding to the backlash on Tuesday night, Jelly Roll said: "Any U.S. president should be able to handle a few jokes, right?"
He also dismissed fans who threatened to stop listening to his music, saying: "Go right ahead."
Jelly Roll also laughed at a headline saying that his jokes had "stunned" viewers. "As a former felon and drug dealer, who has lost 300 pounds, has tattoos all over his face—and won three Grammys—this is the weirdest thing I've ever done to 'stun' people," he joked.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment via email outside of normal working hours.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
AIPROPX is an independent multi-source news index — we track, compare, and connect coverage from across the web into one place you won't find anywhere else.