Newsmax Host Carl Higbie Deletes Jelly Roll’s Music On-Air After Trump Jokes

Newsmax host Carl Higbie reportedly deleted Jelly Roll’s music from his phone during a live broadcast Thursday, following the singer’s jokes about President Donald Trump while guest-hosting for Jimmy Kimmel.

Higbie addressed the controversy on “Frontline” after Jelly Roll, whose real name is Jason Bradley DeFord, wrapped up his final night filling in for Kimmel.
During his guest-hosting run, Jelly Roll acknowledged that some listeners were angry over his jokes targeting Trump. The musician said any American president should be able to tolerate some comedy before also mentioning gas prices, healthcare and international conflicts.

“Some people are mad at me for goofing on Trump,” Jelly Roll said. “But if you wanted me to make jokes about Kamala Harris, you should have voted for her.”
The singer then responded directly to those threatening to stop listening to his music because of the monologue.
“I just want to say with conviction, go right ahead,” he said.

Higbie took the invitation seriously.

“Go ahead? OK, dude, OK. I’ll be deleting his music as we speak,” Higbie said.

The broadcast then showed a close-up of Higbie’s phone as the Newsmax host removed Jelly Roll’s music from the device.

Newsmax contributor Kay Smythe indicated that she would likely follow Higbie’s lead. She sharply criticized Jelly Roll and predicted that his appearance on the late-night program could cost him support among fans.

Smythe said Jelly Roll began as a rapper before moving into country music and working with successful country singers, songwriters and producers. She said he later attempted to move further into pop and Christian music before describing him as a “celebrity sl*t.”

During Thursday’s show, Jelly Roll joked about the dramatic shift in how some viewers perceived his politics. He said people had gone from believing he supported MAGA to accusing him of being a “liberal snowflake.”

The musician also delivered an emotional monologue about his background and urged Americans to move beyond political tribalism.
“We may disagree. We may argue. We may vote completely differently,” Jelly Roll said.

He encouraged people not to allow a small number of political disagreements to overshadow the many things they share.

“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 said.
Jelly Roll added that his father had taught him it is “never too late to do the right thing.”

The singer took over Kimmel’s guest-hosting duties from longtime Trump critic Rosie O’Donnell, who left the country following Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election. O’Donnell had also used her guest-hosting run to mock Trump, including through a parody of an Irish ballad.