By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-09-20 10:26:02 | Updated at 2026-09-21 17:03:50
1 day ago
Country singer Jelly Roll’s decision to deliver a series of vulgar jokes about President Donald Trump is costing him at least one longtime listener. Newsmax host Carl Higbie deleted one of the singer’s songs from his phone on live television after Jelly Roll told upset fans to “go right ahead” and stop listening. A fellow panelist indicated that she would probably follow Higbie’s lead. The on-air deletion came after Jelly Roll spent several nights making jokes about Trump while guest-hosting “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
The controversy began during Jelly Roll’s week behind the desk on ABC’s late-night program while Jimmy Kimmel was away. The singer, whose real name is Jason DeFord, had generally avoided partisan politics despite meeting Trump at a UFC event in November 2024. He also declined to discuss current politics with reporters at the 2026 Grammy Awards, saying that he felt disconnected from current events. That approach changed when Jelly Roll opened his first monologue with jokes about the president’s race, weight, health, and approval ratings.
“The president seemed to enjoy the IndyCar race, which was a real switch-up for him because normally he only likes his own race,” Jelly Roll said. He then said that Trump had gained 14 pounds and was “tipping the scales at almost 240.” Comparing the figure with his own reported 300-pound weight loss, Jelly Roll said, “That means I’ve lost an entire Donald Trump.” He later added, “Well Mr. President, from one fat pig to another, take it from me that physical fitness is very important.”
Jelly Roll returned the following night and addressed the angry response generated by those remarks. “Any U.S. president should be able to handle a few jokes, right?” he asked. “They should also be able to handle gas prices, healthcare, and the occasional international conflict, but beggars can’t be choosers.” The singer then told listeners threatening to abandon his music, “I just want to say with conviction: Go right ahead.”
The jokes grew more vulgar as the week continued. While discussing Trump’s trade dispute with Canada, Jelly Roll said it was “poetic” that Americans could face higher toilet-paper prices “just because the president’s full of s—.” He later asked, “Wouldn’t it be nice to see Trump lose something besides the war, his popularity, and most of his f—ing marbles?” Jelly Roll finished the segment by telling Trump, “With a little hard work, one day your waistline will be just as thin as your skin.”
Higbie responded during an episode of “Carl Higbie Frontline” on Newsmax. He described Jelly Roll as a previous favorite who had spent most of his career staying away from politics before suddenly “coming in hot with Trump jokes.” The program played Jelly Roll’s invitation for disgruntled listeners to stop playing his songs. Higbie immediately reached for his phone and accepted the challenge.
Watch Higbie delete Jelly Roll’s song here:
"*" indicates required fields
Newsmax host deletes Jelly Roll’s music from his phone after he told jokes about Trump. pic.twitter.com/WCB5iQy4Lz
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) August 28, 2026
“Okay, dude. Okay, I’ll be deleting his music as we speak,” Higbie said as he opened his music library. He selected Jelly Roll’s “I Am Not Okay” and displayed the “Delete from Library” prompt to the camera before removing the song. When asked to confirm, Higbie pressed the button. Newsmax contributor Kay Smythe Hill indicated that she would likely follow his lead, responding, “I mean, probably same.”
Smythe Hill then continued her criticism of the singer. As Mediaite reported, she noted that Jelly Roll began as a rapper before moving into country, pop, and Christian music. She claimed that most of his hits had another artist’s name attached to them. Smythe Hill then dismissed him as someone who had become “just kind of a celebrity sl-t.”
The host made clear that his objection came from someone who’d previously supported the singer. Jelly Roll had told listeners upset by his jokes to stop listening if they wished, and Higbie followed those instructions without hesitation. Higbie described Jelly Roll as someone he had previously considered a favorite. “I held him in high regards until then,” Higbie said. “Come on, dude.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
