Jelly Roll says he leans left, regrets avoiding politics at Grammys

Jelly Roll used his guest-hosting slot on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to explain his political views after jokes about President Donald Trump sparked criticism from some conservatives. The singer-songwriter said he "lean[s] left on some things, but like most folks I’m pretty down the middle," adding that hosting the show does not mean he shares all of Kimmel’s politics.

He described himself as a Christian, country-music artist, farmer and bow hunter, and said his beliefs are "simple" and aimed at supporting people who are struggling, including recovering addicts, felons seeking change and single mothers working hard for their families.

"That night at the Grammys, I had an opportunity to speak up for people who were scared, hurting and felt like nobody was speaking for them. I had a microphone and I didn’t use it the right way," he said, expressing regret for not using his acceptance speech for the best contemporary country album to address those concerns.

During the Grammy speech he spoke about his faith, noting that music and belief in Jesus helped him recover from a difficult period in his life. He emphasized that "Jesus is for everybody" and is not owned by any political party.

Backstage, Jelly Roll said he had previously avoided discussing politics, calling himself a "dumb redneck," but indicated he plans to be more vocal in upcoming midterm elections now that his voting rights have been restored.

"We may disagree. We may argue. We may vote completely. But let’s try not to let the couple of things we disagree about forget the hundreds and hundreds of things we have in common," he added, urging unity despite political differences.