Jelly Roll defends his encounter with Donald Trump at UFC event, emphasizing the significance of respecting the president.

The interaction between country star Jelly Roll and President-elect Donald Trump at the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden sparked a heated discussion on social media, intensified by body language analysis.

On his wife Bunnie XO's podcast, "Dumb Blonde," Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, defended his undeniable excitement upon meeting Trump.

"Regardless of who you were, if you were present in the building during Trump's grand entrance at MSG, you felt a chill down your spine," he stated. "You couldn't help but be drawn to the president-elect, who had just been elected eight days prior, walking in with his cabinet, almost all of them present, his children and grandchildren by his side. It was an impressive sight, no doubt about it. Despite your political leanings."

The event, occurring 11 days after the election, was star-studded and included some of Trump's most devoted supporters, including Elon Musk, Kid Rock, and UFC founder and CEO Dana White.

"He explained how he felt when people commented on his goofy smile in a social media video of him watching Trump's processional. He said that the room was palpating and when Trump walked by him, he felt like he was invisible. He was disappointed that he wouldn't get to meet the president and felt sad about it."

However, the men did end up meeting.

"When I glance over, Trump makes eye contact. Although it's not visible in the video, he gives me the Trump point. When I reach out to shake his hand, I place my hand on his shoulder. I was concerned that the Secret Service wouldn't allow it, but he reciprocated by placing his hand on my shoulder."

Trump reportedly praised Jelly Roll's emotional ballad "Save Me," which was released in 2020, and commended the country singer for his outstanding achievements.

Jelly Roll's wife was taken aback when he told her that meeting Trump was a no-brainer. "I don't care if I would have got a call to go meet Joe Biden at any point, I would have stopped what I was doing to go meet him," he said. "That's the active president. I wouldn't have cared what people thought or what I even think about his policies," he admitted.

He stated, "I don't conceal my lack of political affiliation by saying 'I'm not political' - I'm not political! I enjoy discussing topics I'm passionate about. However, I lack sufficient knowledge about politics to pretend to be knowledgeable about current events or policy positions. Honestly, I don't know enough."

"There’s not a chance in hell I’m not going to meet the president-elect…I don’t care…if I would have got a call to go meet Joe Biden at any point, I would have stopped what I was doing to go meet him. That’s the active president. I wouldn’t have cared what people thought…what I even think about his policies." — Jelly Roll

"The singer, who grew up in Tennessee, stated that neither his father nor mother encouraged him to vote. However, he added that they did emphasize the importance of respecting the president, which he believes is the most challenging job in the world."

"I never really cared about politics as a family, so I never watched election night or paid much attention to who was getting elected. As a result, I have no strong memories of our relationship with politics."