Florida Congressman Jimmy Patronis is turning up the heat on Jelly Roll after the country star’s recent comments about President Donald Trump, saying the singer shouldn’t expect a welcome in the Florida Panhandle anytime soon.
The controversy began after Jelly Roll took several political shots at Trump while guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!. What might have been dismissed as another celebrity joke quickly turned into a much larger fight, with conservative fans and politicians questioning why the singer decided to wade into politics.
Patronis has now made his position crystal clear.
“I don’t want to see his tour bus anywhere around the region,” Patronis said. “He made a horrible mistake by going woke and criticizing someone who’s working hard for our country.”
The congressman also suggested that Jelly Roll shouldn’t be surprised if his comments come with consequences.
“Jelly Roll has made his position clear, and now we’re making ours clear,” Patronis said. “If he wants to attack President Trump, he can do it somewhere else. He won’t be doing it here.”
That wasn’t the end of it.
“He can make all the jokes he wants in Hollywood, but he’s not bringing that garbage into the Panhandle,” Patronis reportedly said. “People here don’t need celebrities coming into town and insulting the president before expecting us to roll out the red carpet.”
The dramatic response has quickly fueled debate among Jelly Roll’s fans. Some believe the singer has every right to express his political opinions, while others argue that he should have expected backlash after taking aim at Trump in front of a national television audience.
Jelly Roll has previously described himself as someone who doesn’t fit neatly into either political party. But his recent appearance has nevertheless triggered accusations from some critics that he has abandoned the audience that helped make him one of country music’s biggest stars.
Now the Florida controversy could become an even bigger problem if upcoming performances are affected.
Some supporters of the boycott claim that canceling or disrupting Jelly Roll’s Florida appearances could have a major financial impact on the singer. One estimate circulating around the controversy suggests that losing his Florida dates could potentially put as much as 70% of his ticket sales at risk.
Whether that figure ultimately proves accurate remains another question entirely.
For now, the bigger issue is that a few jokes about Trump have turned into a full-blown political fight.
Jelly Roll doesn’t appear interested in backing down, while Patronis is making it clear that he isn’t interested in giving the singer a pass.
What started on a late-night television stage could now follow Jelly Roll all the way onto the concert stage—and Florida may be the place where the battle gets loudest.
